SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — During a press conference on Thursday, the City of Sioux City announced that boxing heavyweight champion George Foreman was laid to rest in Sioux City.
Foreman died March 21, 2025, and expressed a desire to be buried in Iowa after a visit to the area nearly 40 years ago, according to the press conference.
Foreman visited the area in 1988 and often spoke of the landscape and Loess Hills, as well as a sense of peace he felt, according to his family.
On April 17, 2025, Foreman was laid to rest at Logan Park Cemetery, a release provided by the city states.
“They said when they arrived, they immediately understood, a family representative said. “it looked exactly like he described.”.
“Our father lived a life of purpose, faith and gratitude,” the family said in a statement. “To see him laid to rest in a place that brought him peace means everything to us.”
During the press conference, George Foreman IV said that Sioux City and the communities in the area reflect the very same kindness his father was known for.
“George, especially in his later years, he had this mantra, he would say, ‘George Foreman is the happiest of all time,’” George Foreman IV said. “He would have been so proud for us to be here because the kindness, most joyful and happy people are right here in Iowa, and I got to see it first hand. He carried that with him everywhere he went, the kindness.”
Mayor Bob Scott talked about how a single experience can have a life-long impact.
“Their story is a reminder of how one place can stay with someone for a lifetime,” Scott said.
During the press conference, George Foreman’s family gifted the mayor a signed boxing glove, symbolizing a friendship with the city.
