SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The overdue boxing great George Foreman lies buried in a cemetery in northwest Iowa – a place with which he has no connection other than a lonely visit to the region nearly 40 years ago.
Foreman died on March 21, 2025, at age 76 in Houston and was buried at Logan Park Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa, a month later, city officials confirmed. Foreman’s family returned to the grave site Thursday, holding a news conference with Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott to reveal Foreman’s grave site, marked by a immense monument bearing his image as a teenager after winning an Olympic gold medal in boxing.
In a statement released by Sioux City authorities, the family explained that he had visited Iowa City in 1988 and often recalled the sense of peace he experienced there.
After arriving in the city on April 17 last year to bury Foreman, his family said they immediately understood the area’s appeal.
“Our father lived a life full of purpose, faith and gratitude,” the family said in a statement released by Sioux City authorities. “Seeing him buried in a place that gave him peace means everything to us.”
Scott joined his family at the Foreman memorial, which is located just a few miles north of the Missouri River in a Midwestern city of almost 87,000 people. The cemetery overlooks scenic loess hills, formed by windblown silt deposits that reach heights of up to 200 feet (about 61 meters) and stretch along the river along the Iowa border for 200 miles (322 km).
“Their story is a reminder of how one place can stay with someone for a lifetime,” Scott said.
A Texas native, Foreman rose to fame when he joined the U.S. boxing team in the 1968 Olympics, winning gold in Mexico City. He became the world heavyweight champion in 1973 by defeating the great Joe Frazier, only to lose the title to Muhammad Ali a year later in the famed “Rumble in the Jungle”.
A full 20 years later, in 1994, Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship at age 45 when he defeated Michael Moorer in an epic upset.
Foreman retired in 1997 with a career record of 76-5.
He then moved on to the next chapter in his life as a businessman, thrower and occasional actor, becoming known to a up-to-date generation as the face of George Foreman Grill. The straightforward cooking machine sold over 100 million units and made him more wealthy than boxing.
In 2023, a biographical film based on Foreman’s life was released.