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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Another wolf makes its way into Southern Oregon ... Our View: Let Medford voters decide on marijuana sales ... Reopening of the Siskiyou Line means trucking companies will take a hit ... Another wolf makes its way into Southern Oregon ... Our View: Let Medford voters decide on marijuana sales ... Reopening of the Siskiyou Line means trucking companies will take a hit ... 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper fans in Portland asked to observe moment of silence Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 11, 2015 at 7:09 PM By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 11, 2015 at 7:09 PM » Social News PORTLAND — The family of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper asked fans to observe a moment of silence as his friends and relatives gathered for a memorial Tuesday. The kilt-wearing trash-talker who headlined the first WrestleMania died of cardiac arrest on July 31 at his California home. He was 61. His family held a private funeral Tuesday in the Portland area, where he maintained a home. They asked fans around the world to join them in a moment of silence as the service began at 10:30 a.m. PDT. The service coincided with a WWE SmackDown show tonight at Portland's Moda Center. Born Roderick Toombs, Piper rose to fame in the 1980s as he battled Hulk Hogan. Though Canadian, he often appeared in a kilt and came to the ring blowing bagpipes in a nod to his Scottish heritage. "The truth is that Roddy Piper was so good at his job that he never needed a title belt around his waist to make people pay attention to him," friend Matthew Merz said at a public memorial held Monday in Portland, according to KOIN. "WrestleMania wasn't built on a big world title match. It was built on Rowdy Roddy Piper." Piper was a villain for the early portion of his career, once cracking a coconut over the skull of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka in a segment for his popular WWF talk show called "Piper's Pit." He later starred in the movie "They Live" and continued acting for most of the next three decades. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. Piper became a household name because of his rivalry with Hogan, and the involvement of pop star Cyndi Lauper and her friend Captain Lou Albano. The feud led to an MTV special "The War to Settle the Score" in 1985. Piper was cast as the villain, and his disqualification led to Hogan keeping the WWF championship. "Roddy Piper was a great human being. He was a better human being than he was a wrestler, and by the way, he was the greatest wrestler of all time," former Portland Uncut wrestler Kelly Shafer told KPTV. Another private memorial for Piper is scheduled for Monday at the Comedy Store in Hollywood. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 11, 2015 at 7:09 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501