Chuck Norris, the no-nonsense martial arts master and action hero who starred in the CBS prime time series Walker, Texas Ranger for nine seasons has died at 86. Norris’ family announced the news in an Instagram post on Friday morning (March 20), writing, “It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”

Norris was reportedly hospitalized in Kauai, Hawaii earlier this week for undisclosed reasons, with TMZ reporting at the time that he had suffered a “medical emergency.”

The family’s post continued, “To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family. He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”

Carlos Ray Norris was born on March 10, 1940 in Ryan, Oklahoma and began his martial arts training in 1958 after joining the Air Force and being stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea. His training in the art of Tang Soo Do came in handy when Norris — by then going by the nickname “Chuck” — was discharged from the Air Force in 1962 and opened up his own martial arts studio in Torrance, California.

That dojo soon became a chain of karate schools where he trained in between participating in, and winning, a number of Karate competitions across the country, racking up several championships and world belts. It was during one of those competitions that he met fellow martial arts master and eventual movie star Bruce Lee, with whom he struck up a friendship that eventually resulted in Norris being cast as Lee’s rival in 1972’s Return of the Dragon.

That role led to several others in films such as 1974’s Slaughter in San Francisco, with Norris serving as star and co-star, as well as fight choreographer in a string of 1970s and ’80s action movies, including 1978’s hit Good Guys Wear Black, 1982’s Silent Rage and Forced Vengeance, as well as Lone Wolf McQuade (1983), a trio of Mission In Action Vietnam POW dramas and two Delta Force films.

While the steely-eyed, hard-kicking star was known for his punch first, ask questions never roles, he later leaned into his tough guy image playing himself in comedies such as Sidekicks (1992) and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004).

Norris is best known for his role in the hit TV series Walker, Texas Ranger, a long-running CBS crime procedural inspired by his character in Lone Wolf McQuade, in which he played a member of the Texas Ranger Division. In addition starring in the series over eight seasons, Norris also performed its dusty trails theme song, “Eyes of the Ranger,” on which he sang “In the eyes of a ranger/ The unsuspecting stranger/ Had better know the truth of wrong from right/ ‘Cause the eyes of a ranger are upon you/ Any wrong you do, he’s gonna see.”

Outside of acting, Norris also created his own martial arts discipline, Chun Kuk Do, wrote a New York Times best-selling 1987 memoir detailing his personal philosophy of positive force and the psychology of self-improvement (The Secret of My Inner Strength: My Story) and appeared in a series of cable TV ads alongside model Christie Brinkley promoting Total Gym home fitness equipment. He published his autobiography, Against All Odds: My Story, in 2004 and formed the World Combat League martial arts competition the following year.

Younger fans likely learned of Norris tough guy persona via the popular internet meme Chuck Norris Facts, a series of ridiculously inflated false factoids about the actor such as: “When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn’t push himself up, he pushes the Earth down,” “When Chuck Norris goes swimming, he doesn’t get wet – the water gets Chuck Norris” and “Chuck Norris knows where Carmen Sandiego is.”

In their remembrance, the family added, “While our hearts are broken, we are deeply grateful for the life he lived and for the unforgettable moments we were blessed to share with him. The love and support he received from fans around the world meant so much to him, and our family is truly thankful for it. To him, you were not just fans, you were his friends.”

See the tribute below.