Sarah Palin Mourns Ron Duguay's Passing After Cancer Battle

Sarah Palin announced on Thursday that Ron Duguay is gone, describing her heart as shattered after months of watching him battle colon cancer. The former governor posted an emotional message saying she finds deep peace knowing he is with Jesus now because he fought so hard and love never ends. Duguay passed away at 69 after his Stage 4 diagnosis in December 2024 eventually spread to his liver.

She asked the public to pray for him just days before, sharing a photo from his hospital bedside where she sat next to him. Her late partner was an NHL legend who openly thanked her for being there through it all. In March, he posted a selfie wearing a hospital gown and cap while thanking Palin for sleeping in a chair beside him for five days during recovery. His daughter, Shay Thomas, often joined them at appointments too.

Just over a month ago on September 6, Duguay shared a picture with his ex-wife Robin Bobo and Shay under the caption 'Reunited.' The couple had been dating since 2022, and Palin said she admires how handsome he is even now. In December, they filmed a video hooked up to duel IV immunity treatment to ring in the new year. Another clip showed him sitting on a bench wearing a New York Rangers jersey while other hockey stars appeared too. Palin captioned that with nothing but love for teammates and rivals.

Palin told The New York Post she hadn't planned on dating again after her 2020 divorce from Todd Palin until Ron called to help tour New York City for her court battle against The New York Times. That outlet had falsely claimed in a 2017 op-ed that her rhetoric caused the 2011 mass shooting in Arizona. She never expected this path would lead here, but she stood by him until the very end.

A Manhattan federal judge ruled in April 2025 that The New York Times was not liable for defamation regarding Sarah Palin. She appeared in court alongside Ron Duguay during her legal battle against the publication. Their bond grew quickly as he guided her through a tour of New York City before their friendship deepened into something more personal.

In an interview with the Post back in 2022, she explained why having him around felt so special. "Ron is the first person that I've ever even talked to about a lot of this personal stuff," she said. She added that it has been helpful and refreshing to talk to Ron about everything from politics to life itself. His perspective on life carries more common sense in his little finger than the entire collective working in Washington, DC.

She also mentioned his looks during the same conversation, describing Duguay as really handsome. Just over a month ago, on September 6, he posted a warm photo of himself with their daughter Shay and his former wife, Robin Bobo. "He is French Canadian by birth but he has been here for decades," she noted about him. She went on to say that in many ways he is more patriotic, more pro-America, and more pro-freedom than many people she knows, including politicians serving the country.

Ron Duguay spent twelve seasons playing in the NHL with teams like the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings. He tied the knot with Bobo in December 1983, and they have two daughters together. Later he married fashion model Kim Alexis and moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, before their divorce in 2016. His family shared news of his cancer diagnosis back in February and launched a GoFundMe page to gather funds for his treatment. Shay wrote on the fundraising site that his illness prevented him from working as he usually would. She noted that early in his journey, the care he received in Florida almost cost him his life. This led them to bring him to Orange County where she and her sister live so he could get treatment there.

Ron collapsed at home on July 24 after a fall left him with serious facial injuries before paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital. Medical testing showed severe complications from his cancer fight, including varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, internal bleeding, and an ulcer. His daughter Shay explained that the liver cancer combined with surgery, chemotherapy, and a hepatic pump created immense pressure inside the organ. That pressure backed up into his stomach and caused the internal bleeding. Palin later shared a picture of herself holding his arm while he lay in a hospital bed.

Before meeting Duguay, Sarah was married to Todd for thirty-one years. They met as high school sweethearts and have five children named Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig. Their marriage faced scandals over the years, including accusations that Palin had an affair while still wed to Todd. The book The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin by author Joe McGinniss claimed she had a one-night stand with college basketball star Glen Rice when she worked as a sports reporter in Anchorage, Alaska. That same book also accused her of having a six-month affair with Brad Hanson, who was Todd's former business partner back in the 1990s. Both Sarah and Todd denied those claims about infidelity. Hanson stated that the allegations were false.