Fans of the National Geographic reality series Wicked Tuna got some very sad news this week, as it was announced one of the show's featured fishermen Nicholas "Duffy" Fudge is now dead. He was just 28 years old at the time of his passing, which occurred on Thursday, July 19, 2018.
At the time of this writing, details surrounding Duffy Fudge's death have not been released, and the cause of death is still unclear. According to his obituary, as posted by the Remick & Gendron Funeral Home in Hampton, New Hampshire, Fudge "unexpectedly passed away," and it's unknown if any further clarifications will be made official.
The death likely had nothing to do with filming for Wicked Tuna or any other Nat Geo-related production. The show's Facebook page posted a tribute to Duffy Fudge in which it was made clear they were alerted after the fact.
Nicholas "Duffy" Fudge was born in Topsfield, Massachusetts on August 1, 1989. He graduated from Portsmouth high school and was known for being extremely athletic, as well as for being an avid fisherman and outdoorsman. It was with his father and grandfather that Fudge is said to have developed the skills for tuna fishing that would one day make him one of the top sport fishermen in the U.S.
Fudge's recognition landed him a spot on Wicked Tuna, where he has appeared for multiple seasons as the first mate to Captain Tyler McLaughlin on the vessel named Pinwheel. And because the spinoff series Wicked Tuna: Outer Bank would have been remiss to leave him out of it, Fudge put in some appearances on that show as well. In memory of the former cast member, the Wicked Tuna Twitter page called for a moment of silence during the airing of Sunday night's episode.
Duffy Fudge's obituary spoke to some of his qualities that fans of Wicked Tuna were quite familiar with, such as his heart of gold and his mischievous sense of humor. Speaking to that humor, Fudge's obituary featured a line adding an amusing levity to a sad situation.
Nick now begins his next adventure to locate his missing cell phones, ID's, and credit cards.
Services for the Wicked Tuna fisherman will be held this week, and attendees are encouraged to dress "Duffy" style. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Nicholas "Duffy" Fudge Memorial Fund, which was set up by the family to help environmental protection, a cause that Fudge championed.
We at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Nick "Duffy" Fudge in their time of mourning.
