Norris died Thursday morning, the family said on Instagram, after media reported that he had been hospitalized for an undisclosed condition while on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
“To the world, he was a martial artist, an actor and a symbol of strength,” the statement read, according to AFP. “To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother and the heart of our family.”
The family said they would like to keep the details of Norris’ death private, adding that they “know he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”
Tributes quickly began to arrive.
“All of Texas is mourning the passing of Chuck Norris. He was not only a martial arts champion, an action icon and the only Walker, Texas Ranger,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
“My heart and prayers go out to his family. He will never be forgotten,” said fellow action movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Born in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris took up martial arts while serving in the U.S. Air Force in South Korea.
He left the Air Force in 1962 and set up a martial arts studio in Los Angeles, where he found his calling in teaching and roundhouse kicks.
His acting debut came with a cameo in a 1968 Dean Martin film, “The Wrecking Crew.” Four years later, his epic fight with kung-fu superstar Bruce Lee in “The Way of the Dragon” helped make Norris an icon on both the big and small screens.
A series of starring roles in karate films followed, from an American commando in “Good Guys Wear Black,” an all-American response to a series of Hong Kong action films capitalizing on Lee’s fame, to the action-horror film “Silent Rage.”
As his acting career grew, he became a legendary martial arts figure, winning six world professional middleweight karate championships from 1968 to 1974 and earning black belts in multiple disciplines.
In 1983, Norris took on the role of a taciturn Texas ranger waging war against an arms dealer in “Lone Wolf McQuade,” which served as the model for the cult television series “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
The show ran for eight seasons and spawned countless action-man jokes and memes, one of which was that Chuck Norris and Superman got into a fight, and the loser (Superman) was forced to wear boxers outside.
The success of the bearded, butt-kicking Ranger marked a surprising reversal of fortune for Norris, who grew up a shy, unathletic kid who “used to daydream about being strong… to beat up bullies.”
He had two children from his first marriage to his high school sweetheart Dianne Holechek, which lasted 30 years, and a son and daughter with his second wife Gena O’Kelley.
Norris also had a daughter from an affair during his first marriage.