Fitness guru Richard Simmons, renowned for his energetic personality and dedication to helping others stay fit, passed away on July 13 of natural causes. His death marked the end of an era for many who found inspiration and motivation through his vibrant workouts and positive energy.
On Saturday, Simmons’ staff took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his final planned social media post. “Richard worked very hard on his posts for you,” the message read. “He had many ideas and would work ahead… going back to each one making changes until he had it just like he wanted before posting.”
The message continued, “As you know, on the weekends, he would just share a photo with a caption. He always chose his photos and wrote his captions for the upcoming weekend by Friday. So we have the post Richard planned to share with you last Sunday. We thought you’d want to see it.”
Simmons’ final tweet featured a photo of him smiling in an orange NASA space suit, accompanied by the caption, “Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars. Love, Richard.”
On the day of his passing, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call from Simmons’ housekeeper. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and police reported that he appeared to have died from natural causes, with no foul play suspected.
His longtime publicist, Tom Estey, confirmed Simmons’ death, saying, “The world lost an angel today.” Simmons’ brother, Lenny, later revealed that he was laid to rest on July 19 in Los Angeles. “Our beloved Dicky was laid to rest this morning surrounded by only family and closest friends,” he stated. “We pray for your continued love and support during this very difficult time.”
Just hours before his death, Simmons had posted a cheerful message, writing, “Hello, gorgeous! Please don’t rain on my parade.” The day before, he celebrated his 76th birthday, thanking fans for their wishes and reflecting on his career and life.
In his final interview, Simmons expressed gratitude for his life and his ongoing mission to help others. “I am grateful that I’m here, that I am alive for another day,” he said. “I’ll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people.”
Richard Simmons’ legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched with his boundless enthusiasm and dedication to health and fitness.
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