Canadian professional wrestler is survived by his wife, Martha Joan Hart, and their two kids.
Sadly, Owen Hart passed away on May 23, 1999, in Kansas City, Missouri, during the Over the Edge pay-per-view event.
Highlights
- Owen Hart passed away during the Over the Edge pay-per-view event in 1999.
- Hart had one son, Oje Hart, and one daughter, Athena Christie Hart, with his wife, Martha Joan Hart.
- Oje and Athena stayed away from wrestling following their father’s passing.
He was being lowered via a harness and grappled line into the ring from the rafters of Kemper Arena for a booked Intercontinental Championship match against The Godfather.
In keeping with the Blazer’s new “buffoonish superhero” character, he was to begin a dramatic entrance, being lowered to just above ring level.
At that time, he would act entangled, then release himself from the harness and fall flat on his face for comedic effect, necessitating a quick-release mechanism.
Owen had performed the stunt a few times before. Hart’s widow Martha suggested that by moving around to get comfortable with the harness and his cape, Hart unintentionally triggered an early release.
During the fall, a pre-taped vignette was shown on the pay-per-view broadcast and the monitors in the darkened arena.
Afterward, while medical personnel worked on Hart inside the ring, the live events broadcast showed only the audience.
Owen Hart Had A Son, Oje, And Daughter, Athena, With His Wife, Martha Joan Hart
Owen Hart married Martha Joan Hart on July 1, 1989. Martha, a Canadian philanthropist and researcher, wrote a best-selling book about her husband’s life and founded a charity.
In 1982, Marth met Owen at 15 while they were both in high school.
She attended a Stampede Wrestling event with a friend and met Owen after recognizing him as one of the wrestlers who attended her school for wrestling practice.
She was born Martha Joan Patterson on October 31, 1966, to her mother, Joan Patterson, who battled breast cancer before Martha and her sister Virginia were born.
Martha has subsequently been involved in several legal cases involving her husband’s image.
Martha and Owen were blessed with their first son, Oje Edward Hart, 32, on March 5, 1992.
The name Oje is a derivative of Owen’s first and middle names, Owen and James; it was also Owen’s nickname when he was younger.
On his official Instagram handle, Oje has described himself as an artist, guitarist, and traveler.
He is known for his appearances in AEW Collison (2024), WWF in Yout House 16: Canadian Stampede (1997), Dark Side of the Ring (2020), and The Owen Hart Foundation: A Look Back (2014).
Tony Khan, President of All Elite Wrestling, claimed that Owen Hart’s son Oje told him AEW felt like home despite having hatred for pro wrestling.
Oje appeared in AEW to attend the Owen Hart Cup in 2024. He added,
”It’s such a special place. I remember standing outside Wembley Stadium with a bunch of the guys; we were walking out of the show, and Oje Hart was with us. In the shadow of Wembley Stadium, as we all walked out, he said: “Pro wrestling took everything from me, and I hate it, yet here I am, and AEW feels like home to me.” It’s a moment I’ll never forget. It was so perfect to happen there. At Wembley. The Owen Hart tournament is not just a once-a-year thing, it’s really special. They are a part of our crew. To have Christian Cage, Jeff Jarrett, Dustin Rhodes, people who were really close to Owen Hart, it means a lot to people here to continue that legacy.”
Oje Hart
Owen and Martha were blessed with their second child, a daughter, Athena Christie Hart, 29, on September 23, 1995.
During her childhood, after a swim at Killarney Pool, Athena always looked forward to dropping by Spiros Pizza to pick up a Hawaiian Special on the way home.
Athena and his brother Oje avoided wrestling after their father’s passing and had extraordinary lives. They honored Owen by finding their passions in life.
She also runs the Owen Hart Foundation and donates regularly to Calgary’s Community Fridge.
Additional Information
- On May 28, 2011, Owen Hart was inducted into the Legends Pro Wrestling “Hall of Fame” by Jack Blaze in Wheeling, West Virginia, at their “LPW Hart & Soul Tour” event.
- Owen Hart was born to his father, Stu Hart, and his mother, Helen Hart. His family background was Greek descent through his maternal grandmother and Irish through his maternal grandfather.
- After forming the Hart Foundation, Owen quickly gained singles gold as he pinned Rocky Maivia to win his first WWF Intercontinental Championship.
