Ron DuguayFormer NHL veteran and boyfriend sarah palinDied after battle with colon cancer. He was 69 years old.
Palin, 62, shared, “It’s with a broken heart, but also deep peace knowing that Ron is now with Jesus.” via her instagram story On Thursday, October 22. “She struggled a lot. Love never ends.”
Ron’s daughter shay thomas confirmed the news in A different social media post.
“I love you so much, Dad,” Thomas shared. “My heart is broken, but I know Jesus has you now. Until I see you again. ❤️❤️.”
Sarah Palin is asking for support during her boyfriend Ron Duguay’s ongoing battle with Stage IV colon cancer. “Prayers for Ron Duguay are greatly appreciated,” Palin, 62, shared via her Instagram Story on Sunday, October 18. The post was accompanied by a photo of the former Alaska governor holding Duguay’s hand in a hospital bed. In […]
Duguay played 12 seasons in the NHL from 1977 to 1989, most with the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.
The hockey star and the former governor of Alaska began dating in 2022, and she remained a constant presence during his cancer battle that began with his diagnosis in December 2024.
“She has been involved throughout my father’s journey and has been incredibly supportive,” Thomas told Us exclusively in February about Palin. “Their relationship can obviously be challenging because they live long distance. He’s in Alaska, she’s in Florida. But they’ve always been close.”
Ron Duguay and Sarah Palin
Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesThomas added, “If we ever needed her for anything, she flew out red-eye on short notice. If we had stuff with our kids and we couldn’t come — for example, my dad had surgery where they went into his colon and liver — and she stayed with him in the hospital for five days. She’s been a great source of support. Not just for my dad, but for our entire family.
“We are incredibly grateful for that,” she said.
Duguay came forward with his cancer diagnosis in February when his family launched a GoFundMe to help with rising medical costs.
“It was definitely a battle that lasted several months,” Thomas said of the fundraising. “He said, ‘No, absolutely not.'”
Thomas continued, “His credit card debt was piling up and then I said to him, ‘Dad, just let me do this. I’m not going to put your name out there. Just let me do this. A lot of people have asked to help you. You need help. You’ve helped people. Let them help.’ … We talked as a family and we said, ‘We need to make this GoFundMe. We have to do everything we can. Because if we don’t it will kill you.”
Earlier this month, Thomas had hinted that his father’s health had taken a turn for the worse.
“I wasn’t planning on posting anything, but I believe in the power of prayer, and right now, we need all the prayers we can get,” she posted on October 11.