Brooke Hogan, the daughter of pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, was not present at her father's funeral service Tuesday in Florida. But in her mind, that's exactly how he would have wanted it.
Videos by FanBuzz
Photo by Jason Squires/WireImage
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Brooke wrote that her father disliked funerals and had expressed that he never wanted one for himself. She said she chose to grieve in her own way, in a manner that felt more personal and true to the bond they shared.
"My father hated the morbidity of funerals," she wrote. "He didn't want one. And although I know people grieve in many ways, and I'm so grateful for all celebrations and events organized to honor him, as his daughter, I had to make my own decision to honor him the best and most genuine way I knew how... privately."
Instead of attending the service, Brooke said she took her family to the beach. It was, she said, a quiet way to feel closer to her father — the man she remembered most fondly in a lawn chair by the water, watching the sunset.
"The only thing missing today was him in his pop-up lawn chair watching the waves," she said. "We took our babies to the beach, and put them in the same salty waters you loved. Molly loved the water. I think she'll be a 'little fish,' as you called me."
Brooke added, "Every grain of sand and every wave reminded me of being your beach baby, and brought us closer to you. I pray you are at peace and know how dearly I love you."
In a separate post from July 29, the 37-year-old shared that she and her father had private conversations in the months before his death. She said he confided in her about personal and business issues. She offered to be "a life raft in whatever capacity he needed."
Brooke and her fiancé, Steven Olesky, had even moved to Florida to be nearer to Hogan. Over time, though, she decided to step back for her own well-being.
"I eventually had to distance myself to protect my heart," she said.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died July 24 after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 71. He had also been diagnosed with a form of cancer before his death.
In a separate interview this week, Brooke tried to clear up some lingering confusion about her father's relationship with longtime radio host Bubba the Love Sponge, though she did not go into great detail.
Hulk Hogan was a larger-than-life figure for millions. For Brooke, though, he was still just Dad. And she honored him in the quietest way she knew — with the ocean, the waves, and her own little fish in the water
