Roderick "Roddy" George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 30, 2015), better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, film actor, and podcast host. In professional wrestling, he was best known for his work with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Although he was Canadian, due to his Scottish heritage he was billed as coming from Glasgow in Scotland and was known for his signature kilt and bagpipe entrance music. He earned the nickname "Rowdy" by displaying his trademark "Scottish" rage, spontaneity and quick wit. Despite being a crowd favorite for his rock star-like persona, he often played a villain. Aside from his ring name, he was also known by the nickname "Hot Rod". Piper headlined several major pay-per-view events; he participated in the main events of WrestleMania I and WrestleMania X – as a special guest referee in the latter. Never a world champion, he nevertheless accumulated 34 championships in various promotions during his career. Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and named No. 1 of the Top 50 villains in wrestling history by the WWE. Toombs was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on April 17, 1954 and was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is of majority Scottish descent, with some Irish on his mother's side. He attended Windsor Park Collegiate. His father was an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police while they lived in The Pas, Manitoba.After being expelled from junior high and having a falling out with his father, Piper hit the road and stayed in youth hostels wherever he could find them and picked up odd jobs at local gyms running errands for several pro wrestlers. As a young man he became proficient in playing the bagpipes, though he has repeatedly stated that he is unsure exactly where he picked them up. His childhood (and now lifelong) best friend is ex-NHL player and Stanley Cup winner Cam Connor. By the age of 15, he made his pro debut in Winnipeg, against Larry Hennig. He was a boxer and an amateur wrestler before he started to become a pro wrestler. From 1973 to 1975, Piper was a jobber in the AWA, Kansas City, the Maritimes, and Texas working for Paul Boesch's NWA Houston Wrestling promotion and in Dallas working for Fritz Von Erich's Big Time Rasslin. By late 1975 and early 1976, Piper was a top villain for Mike and Gene LeBell's NWA Hollywood Wrestling. In the late 1970s, Piper ventured to the Mid-Atlantic territory. Piper started in the WWF in late 1983 and at the same time fulfilled dates with Crockett. On his way out of Crockett's promotion he became a heel, which set the stage for his WWF run in 1984. During Piper's 1986 face run, Piper's Pit played key roles in two storylines memorable to fans: Piper's feud with Adrian Adonis, and the set-up of the Hulk Hogan-André the Giant match at WrestleMania III. Later in 1996, Piper joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 2003, Piper appeared for the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion, hosting several In the Pit with Piper interview segments. On February 21, 2005, it was announced that Piper was to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. On August 12, 2011, Piper wrestled his last match as a pro wrestler, teaming with Bob Orton, Jr., defeating Mick Foley and Terry Funk, in a Juggalo Championship Wrestling Legends and Icons show. On July 30, 2015, Piper died of a heart-attack in his sleep in his home in Hollywood, California. He was discovered dead in his home on July 31, 2015 at the age of 61. Piper is survived by his wife Kitty and their 4 children including 3 daughters and son Colton who's pursuing a career in professional wrestling.

• published: 01 Aug 2015
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