Wilma died in her home in Brentwood, Tennessee, on November 12, 1994, at the age of 54, due to a brain tumor along with throat cancer. Posthumously, the governor of Tennessee proclaimed June 23 as Wilma Rudolph day, and a statue of her was placed in Clarksville.
[BlackThen]
“My thoughts about my life, my great moment, if I left this Earth today, would be knowing that I have tried to give something to young people. A dream they can hold on to. Hopefully, for the first time, I`m beginning to see that young black women in America are making a large contribution in sports. The impression is that together we can make a first. And that makes me very happy.”
-Wilma Rudolph
"All of us recognize that this is a tremendous loss. Wilma has been very much involved in several programs with us... She stayed very active."
- Leroy Walker, President of the U.S. Olympic Committee