Candace Cameron Bure, the well-known actress and wife of retired professional ice hockey player Valeri Bure, is grieving the loss of her father-in-law, Vladimir Bure. Vladimir passed away on September 3 at the age of 73. Candace took to Instagram to express her deep sadness and pay tribute to him.
In her heartfelt post, Candace described Vladimir as a man who embodied strength, dedication, motivation, resilience, willpower, and love. She also highlighted his impressive achievements as a four-time Olympic medalist in swimming and a two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach for the New Jersey Devils. Above all else, she emphasized how much he loved his family.
Candace encouraged those who knew Vladimir personally or had trained under him to share their memories with her. She wanted to hear stories about their time with him or any anecdotes they had about him as a friend or coach.
Tributes poured in from various individuals close to Candace and Valeri. Their oldest child Natasha also paid tribute on social media by expressing infinite love for her “Dedushka” (grandfather) and thanking him for giving her “Papa.”
Actress Marilu Henner commented on Candace’s Instagram post with words of support and love. Nick Kaplan, a longtime friend of Vladimir’s who worked for the New Jersey Devils’ front office, shared a prayer video honoring his memory.
Vladimir Bure was born in Norilsk, Russia in 1950. He gained recognition as an accomplished freestyle swimmer during the late 1960s and went on to compete in multiple Olympic Games where he won four medals.
Vladimir’s sons Pavel and Valeri followed in their father’s footsteps by pursuing careers in professional ice hockey. Pavel played for several teams before retiring in 2005 while Valeri played for various NHL teams before announcing his retirement due to injuries.
Aside from his involvement with ice hockey teams like the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils as a conditioning coach and fitness consultant respectively,Vladimir made significant contributions to athlete training over three decades.
The New Jersey Devils expressed their sadness upon learning about Vladimir’s passing through a statement on their website. They acknowledged his role as Fitness Consultant from 1999-2010 when they won two Stanley Cups under his guidance.
The loss of Vladimir Bure has left an indelible mark on those who knew him personally or admired his accomplishments within sports circles. His legacy will continue through the lives he touched throughout his remarkable career.