Amir J. Tyson, the son of legendary heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, is mourning the passing of his grandfather, who passed away at the age of 94. Earlier today, Amir took to social media to share an emotional tribute to his late grandfather, John C. Turner.

“Love you, grandpa,” Amir wrote on his Instagram story, alongside an image detailing the funeral mass. “RIP to a true hero and great human being. Will never forget you.”

According to Amir’s post, John C. Turner—the father of Tyson’s second wife, Monica Turner—passed away on February 1, 2026. Amir did not disclose the cause of death, and little public information is available about Turner’s life. Amir’s tribute also included details of the funeral mass, which, according to the image, was held on February 16 at St. Gabriel’s Roman Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.

Mike Tyson and Monica Turner share one other child, Ramsey Tyson, born in 1996, besides Amir Tyson. And for those who don’t already know, Monica, who is the sister of former RNC chairman Michael Steele, filed for divorce from Mike Tyson in January 2002, after five years of marriage.

Tyson and Monica initially met at a party hosted by comedian and actor Eddie Murphy at his New Jersey home in 1990. At the time, Tyson was still married to his first wife, Robbin Givens, so he had a platonic relationship with Turner.

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Their relationship turned romantic while Tyson was serving time in prison, and the couple eventually married in April 1997. While Amir clearly shared a close bond with his grandfather, Mike Tyson did not have the same privilege during his own upbringing.

Mike Tyson never even knew his real father

Growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, ‘Iron Mike’ never actually had a father figure. His biological father, Purcell Tyson, as listed in his birth certificate, left before Tyson was born. Neither he nor his siblings ever knew him or spoke to him, which pushed Tyson toward delinquency in childhood.

Tyson grew up believing his father was Jimmy Kirkpatrick, who was in a relationship with Tyson’s mother, Lorna Smith. However, he had abandoned the family before Tyson was born. Tyson finally found his father figure when he met legendary trainer Cus D’Amato. 

D’Amato became his legal guardian after Tyson’s mother passed away in 1982. The legendary trainer shaped Tyson’s life and turned him into a world champion, even though he never got to watch Tyson achieve that goal. D’Amato died at the age of 77 in 1985 after struggling with pneumonia at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.

That said, Mike Tyson gave his children the stability and family foundation he himself lacked growing up. EssentiallySports extends its heartfelt condolences to Amir and his family during this difficult time. Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share?