Following the news that John Wayne’s daughter, Melinda Wayne Munoz, passed away at the age of 81, fans react to the announcement by sharing their support for Duke’s family.
As previously reported, John Wayne’s Instagram account announced on Thursday (April 14th) that Wayne Munoz recently passed away. “We are saddened that John Wayne’s daughter, Melinda Wayne Munoz, passed away this week. Melinda was the 4th of John Wayne’s 7 children and the youngest child from Duke’s first marriage to Josephine Saenz. Melinda herself was the mother of 5 children, and grandmother to 14,” part of the Instagram caption reads.
Immediately after the news broke, fans reacted by posting condolences to the family of John Wayne’s daughter. “Very sad news! Sincere condolences to her family,” one fan wrote. “We had the pleasure of sitting behind Melinda at the filming of ‘Quiet Man’ at the John Wayne 100th Birthday Film Festival. As noted above she was such a warm and friendly lady!”
Another John Wayne fan also shared, “RIP MELINDA YOU WILL BE MISSED. NOW YOU ARE WITH YOUR WONDERFUL FATHER IN HEAVEN.”
It was also reported that Melinda Wayne Munoz spent the past 35 years being a passionate advocate and supporter in the fight against cancer through the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. The young Wayne was married to her husband, Gregory Munoz from 1964 to 1985. The social media post also revealed, “If you ever had the pleasure of meeting Melinda, you knew how warm, welcoming, and passionate she was and chances are, she probably made you laugh!”
Much like her father, she was also an actress. She appeared in her father’s 1952 comedy-drama film “The Quiet Man.”
John Wayne’s Daughter Melinda Shared What He Taught Her Over the Years
While remembering the life lessons John Wayne taught her over the years, Melinda Wayne Munoz stated her father made sure to teach her about showing respect. “My father was a very considerate person. I remember when John Ford was directing a movie and we’d come onto the set—we had to say, ‘permission to come aboard, sir.’ He always thought about the other guy. He had respect for people—real respect. He showed respect.”
When it came to thinking about others, Melinda Wayne Munoz said that her father was Moore interested in the person he was meeting than him. “He wasn’t snobbish and he would ask you questions. He was very interested in people and life.”
Meanwhile, when it came to affection, John Wayne’s daughter said he would do super sweet things for her. “My father always sent me flowers on Valentine’s Day, even when I was married. I would always look forward to it. He was a true gentleman.”
In regards to family, Melinda Wayne Munoz said that she could see John Wayne’s love of family in the reactions of Ethan Edwards. Who is the character he played in the film “The Searchers.”
