Candace Cameron Bure Mourns Loss of Father-in-Law: ‘Our Hearts Are Broken’

Candace Cameron Bure attends the HollyRod Foundation's 21st Annual DesignCare Gala in Malibu, Calif., on July 27, 2019. Jean Baptiste Lacroix/Getty Images

Candace Cameron Bure is mourning the death of her father-in-law, Vladimir Bure, who passed away on Sept. 3 at the age of 73.

Candace Bure, 48, took to Instagram on Wednesday to pen a touching tribute, sharing that she and her husband—retired professional ice hockey player Valeri Bure—are deeply saddened by the loss.

“Our hearts are broken as we grieve the loss of Val’s dad Vladimir Bure. I loved this man so very much. To me, he represented not only the gift of life (my husband) that I am forever grateful for, but one of strength, dedication, motivation, resilience, willpower and love. In my mind, he was the epitome of each of those words, a little bit super human in some way,” the actress wrote.

“Vladimir was an 4x Olympic medalist in swimming and a 2x Stanley Cup winning coach for the New Jersey Devils. He was a proud father, grandfather, husband and dedicated coach,” she said.

“Most of all, I know how much he loved his family. Thank you for praying for all of the Bure family as we grieve. We love you Vladimir and you'll forever be in our hearts.”

In a separate Instagram Story post, Candace Bure encouraged those acquainted with her father-in-law to share their memories.

“If you knew my father-in-law, trained with him, was under his coaching or knew him as a friend, I'd love to hear about your time with him or a story,” she wrote.

Tributes Pour In

Candace and Valeri, who wed in 1996, share three children: Natasha, 26; Lev, 24; and Maksim, 22. Their oldest child also paid tribute to Vladimir Bure on social media.

“My incredible Dedushka,” Natasha Bure wrote in an Instagram Story. “Rest in peace. I have infinite love for you and for giving me my Papa.”

Actress Marilu Henner, who starred in the “Aurora Teagarden Mysteries” series alongside Candace Bure, commented on the “Full House” star’s Instagram post, writing: “I know how much you loved him! I’m sending you all much love and good thoughts.”

Henner added: “The only thing worse than losing someone you love is never having had them in the first place!”

Nick Kaplan, who previously worked for the New Jersey Devils’ front office, shared a prayer for Vladimir Bure on X, noting that they had been friends for more than 25 years.

“Lord, we come before you today with heavy hearts, mourning the loss of our dear friend Vladimir Bure,” Kaplan said in a video.

“Thank you for the memories we shared, especially the victories we shared together on the ice, winning two Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils in 2000 and 2003. Those moments of triumph will forever be etched in my heart and our hearts,” he continued.

“We ask that you bring comfort to all those who knew and loved Mr. Bure. May his legacy live on through the lives he touched. Lord, please grant Bure’s family peace in this time of sorrow and help us to honor his memory in all that we do.”

Vladimir Bure

Vladimir Bure was born in Norilsk, Russia, on Dec. 4, 1950. He emerged as a prominent freestyle swimmer in the late 1960s, competing in the 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympic Games, where he took home four medals.

In 1971, Vladimir Bure and his wife, Tatiana, welcomed their first son, Pavel—who went on to play professional ice hockey for the Vancouver Canucks, the Florida Panthers, and the New York Rangers before retiring from the sport in 2005.

The couple had their second child, Valeri, in 1974. Two decades later, Valeri followed in his brother’s footsteps, joining the National Hockey League. Valeri played for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars before announcing his retirement in 2005 due to back and hip injuries.

In addition to working as a conditioning coach with the Vancouver Canucks, Vladimir Bure also served as a fitness consultant with the New Jersey Devils. After joining the professional ice hockey team in 1999, the New Jersey Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2000 and 2003.

In a statement posted to the New Jersey Devils’ website, the team wrote that it was saddened to learn of Vladimir Bure’s passing.

“A former Olympic medalist in swimming, he became a pioneer in the field of athlete training for thirty years,” the organization penned.

“He served as Fitness Consultant for New Jersey from 1999-2010, and had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 2000 and 2003. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this time.”