:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(725x362:727x364)/Chad-McQueen-091224-1-29cec285836c4d668d7f87e7220512ae.jpg "Son of Steve McQueen and Dutch in “Karate Kid” turned 63")
Chad McQueen, the son of the late racing driver and acting legend Steve McQueen, has died in California. He was 63 years old.
The Karate Kid Actor and race car driver died in Palm Springs on Wednesday, September 11. His family confirmed his death the following day in a statement posted on Chad and Steve’s Instagram accounts.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our father, Chad McQueen,” began the statement from his wife Jeanie and their two children.
Chad played the Dutchman in 1984 Karate Kid and repeated the role two years later in Karate Kid Part II. He also played in Death Ring, Firepower And Red line before leaving the film industry in the 1990s to devote himself to sports car racing. He made a final appearance in 2001 Autumn: The price of silence.
In 1993, Chad married Jeanie Galbraith and they eventually had Chase and Madison.
“His remarkable journey as a loving father to us and his unwavering devotion to our mother truly exemplified a life of love and dedication,” they continued. “His passion for racing not only highlighted his extraordinary talent, but was also a way of honoring his father’s legacy, a testament to the values instilled in him.”
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They added: “He has passed on his passion, knowledge and dedication to us and we will continue not only his legacy but that of our grandfathers.”
Chad was very close to his father, who died of cancer in 1980 at the age of 50.
“A lot of my values are the same as my father’s,” Chad told PEOPLE in 1996. “I try to be as quiet as he was. Growing up, I didn’t understand his distrust of people. But now that I’m getting older, I understand it.”
In 2010, Chad founded McQueen Racing, which builds custom high-performance cars, just four years after surviving a near-fatal accident while practicing for the 24 Hours of Daytona.
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On Thursday, his family concluded their statement by saying: “As a family, we must navigate this difficult time and we respectfully request privacy as we remember and celebrate his extraordinary life.”
Following the announcement, tributes from friends appeared on social media, including Fast and loud with Richard Rawlings as the star.
“I have just heard the terrible news of the passing of Chad McQueen,” Rowlings wrote on Facebook. “The McQueen legacy is unparalleled and Chad kept that cool, fearless spirit alive. The entire GMG team is thinking of the McQueen family. Rest in peace, Chad.”
