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Football Standout Doug Flutie Loses Both Parents Within An Hour

Flutie's father passed away from complications of a recent heart attack. Less than an hour later, his mother had a sudden heart attack and also died.

Football Standout Doug Flutie Loses Both Parents Within An Hour
Getty Images / Rick Stewart
By Matt Moreno
SMS
November 19, 2015

"They say you can die of a broken heart and I believe it."

That's what former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie wrote Wednesday about his parents, Dick and Joan, who died an hour apart.

Flutie announced on Facebook his father had been sick from a recent heart attack and passed away. Less than an hour after, Flutie's mother had a sudden heart attack and also lost her life.

A writer for the Boston Herald called them "a perfectly matched couple." 

In the Facebook post, Flutie thanked his father for coaching him and his mother for working the concession stands. 

Their contributions, of course, helped propel Flutie to a successful football career. He was a standout quarterback for four years at Boston College. 

His most memorable moment came in 1984 when his last-second Hail Mary paid off and Boston College beat Miami. It's one of, if not the most, iconic plays in all of sports.  

Flutie went on to win the Heisman that year, too — Boston College's first. 

Flutie's parents had been married for 56 years and had four children together. 

This video includes images from Getty Images.