Brian Piccolo’s wife, Joy Murrath, also went by the name Joy Piccolo. Joy Murrath’s husband, played halfback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for four seasons. He was a professional American football player.
Joy Murrath: Bio Summary
| Full Name | Joy Murrath |
| as known | Joy Piccolo |
| famous as | wife of Brian Piccolo |
| Date of Birth | 1943 |
| Age | 79 years as of 2022 |
| Place of Birth | United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Children | Lori Piccolo Bruno, Traci Piccolo Dolby, Kristi Piccolo |
| Spouses | Brian Piccolo (m. 1964–1970) |
Who was Brian Piccolo’s wife?
Since she is Brian Piccolo’s wife, Joy Murrath is well-known. She was born in the United States of America in the year 1943. She will be 79 years old in 2022. Her husband Brian died at the age of 26 from aggressive germ cell testicular cancer called embryonal cell carcinoma that had spread to his chest cavity.
The 1971 TV movie Brian’s Song, which had a 2001 remake with the same name, was about Murrath’s late husband. Sean Maher played him in the 2001 remake, whereas James Caan played him in the 1988 original.
Joy Murrath’s husband gave her a Diamond Ring
Piccolo and Murrath were best friends in high school; she cheered for Central Catholic. He handed Joy a big diamond ring when the couple got engaged. However, he also gave Carol, her sister, a smaller diamond ring. Carol Murrath, Joy’s sister, suffered from cerebral palsy. Carol and Piccolo became independent friends. He gave her the ring so that, even though she had a brain disorder, she wouldn’t feel alone.
On December 26, 1964, Murrath and Piccolo were united in marriage. In front of their friends, family, and loved ones, they were united in marriage during a lovely ceremony. Their wedding preparations experienced a major setback due to Brian’s playing in a playoff Shrine All-Star football game. To the dismay of his bride, Joy, the football star was unable to attend his own wedding rehearsal. He made the witty remark to Joy after making it to the wedding on time: “You know, I hate to practice.”
Brian’s marriage to Joy, according to the book “The Book of Sports Virtues: High Impact Athletes and Coaches,” was a particularly potent way for him to show his love, according to the book “The Book of Sports Virtues: High Impact Athletes and Coaches.”
Three children, Lori Piccolo Bruno, Traci Piccolo Dolby, and Kristi Piccolo, were born into the couple’s union. Joy described her late husband as the type of father who would play with his three gorgeous girls all day long in her discussion with The athlete. He loved going shoe shopping with Lori, Traci, and Kristi and splashing in the kiddie pool in their garden.
Did Joy Piccolo ever remarry?
It’s true that Joy Piccolo married again three years after Brian passed away. She married Chicago police officer Rick O’Connell, who was her husband. Rich worked in the ready-mix concrete industry to support himself. Two boys, Tom and Mike, completed his and Joy’s family. Rich and Joy are residents of Delavan, Wisconsin.
Where is Joy Murrath now?
Joy Murrath and her new spouse are still giving their all to the foundation she established in her late husband’s memory. The Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Foundation was started after her passing, and she serves as its president. Joy Piccolo, the wife of Brian Piccolo, also devotes a large portion of her time to looking after her mother, Grace Murrath, who is 97 and resides at an assisted care facility. She participates actively in several charities. Apart from that, Joy and her daughters continue to be involved in running the foundation and planning its activities. Currently, she has 12 grandchildren.
Brian Piccolo had a career in the NFL
Piccolo made a free agency tryout for the Chicago Bears after being passed over in the 1965 NFL and AFL draughts. He was selected for the team for the 1965 campaign, but only on the taxi squad (now called the practice squad), which allowed him to train but not dress for games. He was added to the active roster in 1966 but played mostly on special teams. The amount of time he spent playing in 1967 as Gale Sayers’ backup increased after the star tailback suffered a knee injury in November 1968. 1968 was Piccolo’s best statistical year, as he amassed 450 yards on 123 carries (a 3.7 average), two touchdowns, and 28 receptions for 291 yards, setting a career-high (a 10.4 average).
Sayers returned as the tailback in 1969, while Piccolo was promoted to the position of starting fullback, putting the two in the same offensive backfield.
At that time, hotel room assignments still separated players based on race. The protocol was amended and each player was reassigned by position, such that wide receivers would room together, quarterbacks would room together, etc., at the request of the Bears captain. Sayers and Piccolo were the only black and white players in the running back position on the 1969 Bears.
Brian Piccolo Death and cancer
The Bears were in the middle of their worst-ever 1-13 campaign in 1969. As an undersized fullback, Piccolo had finally won a spot in the starting lineup. In their seventh game on November 9, they defeated struggling Pittsburgh at home 38-7. Piccolo scored the game’s first touchdown with a 25-yard touchdown reception. The next week in Atlanta, he ran for a one-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter before leaving the game on his own accord, something he had never done before, which caused his teammates and coaches tremendous concern. When the team got back to Chicago, he was sent right to the doctor for a checkup.
Brian was quickly given a diagnosis of embryonal cell carcinoma because it had become very hard for him to breathe while playing.
Piccolo underwent a second procedure in April 1970 to remove his left lung and pectoral muscle shortly after undergoing the original surgery to remove the tumor at Sloan-Kettering in New York City. He was readmitted to the hospital in early June after experiencing chest pain, and there, physicians found that cancer had spread to other organs, including his liver. He passed away at the age of 26 early on June 16th. Gale Sayers informed the audience that they had chosen the incorrect recipient of the George S. Halas Award for Most Courageous Player one month before Piccolo’s passing while accepting the honor. He stated: “I want all of you to share my affection for Brian Piccolo. Ask God to love him too when you kneel down to pray tonight. “
Six Bears teammates, including Sayers and Dick Butkus, carried Piccolo’s casket on June 19 at Christ the King Catholic Church in Chicago. In Evergreen Park, Illinois’s Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery, he was laid to rest.
FAQ
Who is Brian Piccolo wife?
50 years after Piccolo’s death, we remember him.
On Tuesday, it will be 50 years since Brian Piccolo passed away. After four seasons with the Bears, the fullback/running back went away on June 16, 1970, at the age of 26, from embryonic cell cancer.
What were Brian Piccolo’s last words?
The final words of Brian Piccolo were, “Is that really true, Joy? Is this nonsense real? ” When the story of the movie begins, Brian Piccolo is twenty-one years old, but James Caan was actually thirty at the time.
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