Larry Fitzgerald Sr. — the dad of Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald Jr. — died from multiple issues, including severe sepsis, according to a copy of his death certificate obtained by The California Post.
The document states a urinary tract infection and prostate cancer were other factors that led to Fitzgerald Sr.’s passing. End stage renal disease was listed as another contributing condition.
The manner of death was ruled natural, according to the document.
Fitzgerald Sr., a famed journalist who once covered Fitzgerald Jr.’s appearance at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, died on June 1 at an Edina hospital in Minnesota — just nine days before his 72nd birthday.
Fitzgerald Jr.’s brother, Marcus, said in a statement announcing the passing that Fitzgerald Sr. “left us peacefully” while “surrounded by his family and the people who loved him most.”
Eleven days after the death, Fitzgerald Jr. penned a sweet note about his dad on Instagram, writing that Fitzgerald Sr. was “an incredible father, husband, and member of the community.”
The legendary Arizona Cardinals receiver added that Fitzgerald Sr. was a “celebrated journalist for nearly fifty years” who “took tremendous pride in his profession and in serving the Minnesota community.”
Fitzgerald Jr. revealed in the social media message that he was helping create a scholarship fund in honor of his father to help National Association of Black Journalists student members pursue careers similar to Fitzgerald Sr.’s.
“My deepest gratitude to everyone honoring his memory,” Fitzgerald Jr. wrote.