How Did John Wayne Die At 72? His Family Continues The Fight Today

On June 11, 1979, 72-year-old John Wayne passed away due to stomach cancer. According to Variety, just five months prior to The Duke's passing, he had undergone a scheduled gallbladder removal surgery, and it was then that doctors discovered malignant stomach cancer. Thereafter, Wayne underwent a surgery that lasted over nine hours to get his stomach removed. In early May 1979, the "True Grit" star paid another visit to the hospital and underwent surgery to treat an intestinal obstruction, which revealed that he had more cancerous tissue. 

Although Wayne agreed to undergo chemotherapy and experimental treatment, doctors ultimately couldn't get him in a fit enough physical state to undergo the procedures. In 1985, six years after the Western film icon's death, his family founded The John Wayne Cancer Foundation to spread awareness about the disease and honor his memory. The nonprofit's website notes that it exists "to lead the fight against cancer with courage, strength, and grit." The foundation accomplishes this in numerous ways, like funding cancer research, awareness, and education, with the primary aim of supporting early detection, prevention, and treatment of cancer. 

To help equip doctors with modern technological methods for treating and researching cancer, the foundation offers a two-year fellowship program at institutions like the University of California. The organization has also funded a program called Block the Blaze to remind younger generations of what happens to their skin when they don't use sunscreen and help reduce the odds of contracting skin cancer. To raise funds to accomplish these goals and honor Wayne's legacy as a film star, the foundation hosts The Grit Series half marathon, which has people running or walking through iconic locations featured in the actor's works.

Speaking to Fox News in February 2022, John Wayne's granddaughter, Anita La Cava Swift, shared why their family has continued championing the John Wayne Cancer Foundation over the decades, saying, "My grandfather, when he was dying, asked his family to find a cure for cancer by using his image and likeness, so that's what we've been doing." Eight years earlier, in an October 2014 chat with Fox News, John's son, Patrick Wayne, shared that the family could never have anticipated that their nonprofit would continue thriving decades later. 

Between 2013 and 2014, the organization raised around $800,000 for its many causes. Over two decades, the foundation had contributed $18 million to cancer research. Given how JWCF's mission is centered around education, it's unsurprising that Cava Swift took her Fox News interview opportunity to encourage people to stay on top of their cancer screening tests, including mammograms and prostate exams, and remind people to keep an eye out for and be concerned about any moles that appear on their bodies.

It's also worth noting that John himself stressed the importance of cancer screenings during a December 1964 interview with The New York Times, which took place after he was diagnosed with lung cancer following routine screening. The "Rio Bravo" actor shared that although he had been advised to keep his diagnosis under wraps because it would negatively affect his public persona, he had ultimately opened up about it to encourage people to get screened and save their lives. John became cancer-free from the surprising leading cause of cancer deaths following a surgery.