By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
Bodybuilder David Draper has passed away. He was 79.
An official cause of death has not been announced yet.

“Laree Draper sent us a message this morning, (which I just opened) informing us that Dave died early this morning,” Bill Pearl said in a Facebook post. “It was calm and peaceful and she was with him. While very saddened by this news, Dave was a good friend and one of the sweetest, most gracious, most honorable, and righteous individuals we have had the privilege of knowing. We are also sure that his steadfast Christian faith has taken him to a better place. We will miss him, and extend our most sincere condolences to Laree.”
Draper was born in Secaucus, New Jersey. When he was 21-years-old, he won the Mr. New Jersey title. He then moved to California after winning the title.
As a bodybuilder, he won the 1965 IFBB Mr. America and also won the 1966 and 1970 Mr. Universe events. He was the fourth-place finisher in Mr. Olympia in 1967.
Outside of being a bodybuilder, he also served as an actor and author. He was in the following films: Lord Love a Duck, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Don’t Make Waves. He also wrote the following books, “Brother Iron, Sister Steel,” “Your Body Revival: Weight Loss Straight Talk,” “Iron On My Mind,” “West Coast Bodybuilding Scene,” and “Iron in My Hands.”
Draper is the latest bodybuilder, who has died in 2021. Former Mr. Olympia Shawn Rhoden passed away in November due to a heart attack.
Bodybuilder George Peterson passed away in October. Other bodybuilder deaths in 2021 include Vic “Mr. Big” Richards, John “Mountain Dog” Meadows, Jenny Lynn, Willian Irvine, Melissa Coates, Andy Haman, Matt Mendenhall, Michael Thier, and Richard “Dustin” Cosman.
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