Dominic Purcell Mourns Death of Dad Joseph: 'His Stoicism in the Face of Great Pain Was Heroic'

Dominic Purcell
Susannah V. Vergau/picture alliance via Getty Images

The 'Prison Break' actor took to Instagram to share the news of his father's death.

Dominic Purcell is in mourning following the death of his father, Joseph, and he honored his memory in a touching tribute.

The Prison Break star took to Instagram on Monday to share the unfortunate news, posting a beaming photo of himself, his father, and his wife, Tish Cyrus.

"My dad passed tonight," Dominic, 54, wrote in the caption, confirming his father died in Ireland while receiving care at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

Dominic thanked his father's physician, Dr. Amy Hudson, and wrote, "We as a family cannot thank you and your staff enough for your incredible kindness and quiet reasoning. Your words at the end have been echoed throughout my life in regards to my dad. 'A gentleman, such a kind beautiful soul.'"

"For what it's worth…..As a father I believe the greatest gift he can receive from his child is the knowing he is deeply loved. Deeply respected," Dominic wrote. "Surely a fathers only wish for his child is to grow, flourish and better him. That was his wish. It came true."

Dominic is the father of four adult children -- sons Joseph and Augustus, and daughters Lily-Rose and Audrey -- whom he shares with ex-wife Rebecca Williamson.

"I know very clearly I can not better him but I can try and be like him," Dominic wrote of his father. "To his tribe of many grandchildren - he adored and loved you all so very much. Pass on his memory."

He also shared a message of gratitude and love for his wife, and her friendship with his dad.

"To my beautiful wife. It's very easy to love you. It's a simple thing," he wrote. "The connection and deep love you had for my dad, and he for you, (the both of you) was magnificent."

"Watching my dad confront his own mortality was a lesson in courage and dignity," Dominic shared in the emotional tribute. "His stoicism in the face of great pain was heroic."

After praising his father for "the lessons and examples he taught," Dominic concluded, "As I write, it becomes clear to me that a worded tribute to my dad is not fair play……Such was his disdain for fuss and bother. We had that in common. His humility was perfect... Go with mum dad. Your loving son Dom."

Tish -- who tied the knot with Dominic at a wedding in Malibu in August 2023 -- shared a comment under her husband's post, reflecting on the photo he shared in his tribute.

"The day this picture was taken was one of the best days of my life. Dom and I got our marriage license and then walked down sunset blvd with Joe," Tish, 56, recalled in her comment. "He was so happy and full of life. It's a day I'll never forget. To know Joe was to love him…. The kindest most gentle soul I will ever know. Being loved by him is something I'll never take for granted."

Back on April 1, Tish shared her own post celebrating her father-in-law, several weeks after he first entered the hospital and it had become clear that the end was near for him.

"Joe got sick about 4 weeks ago and is now in the process of leaving this world behind and headed for some place way more beautiful," she wrote, alongside a trio of pictures, including one from her wedding, as she walked arm-in-arm with her father-in-law. "Getting to know and love him has been an honor and a privilege. I can honestly say that he is one of the most beautiful humans I will ever know."

"I will cherish the memories we have made in the last few years for the rest of my life," she concluded. "I love and admire you Joe with all my heart and soul."

The loss of Dominic's father comes several months after the actor wed Tish -- and amid a bit of familial drama between Tish and her daughter, Noah Cyrus.

Rumors about mother-daughter drama circulated after Noah and brother Braison did not attend Tish and Dominic's wedding last summer. Instead, the brother-sister duo hung out together and went to Walmart, as evidenced by their Instagram Stories

A source shared with ET in March that Tish and Noah had been estranged since the mother of five started dating -- and eventually married -- Dominic.

Another source close to the family then told ET that Dominic had, in fact, been dating Noah, 24, before he got into a relationship with her mother -- but added that Tish "did not steal" the actor from her daughter. "Noah stopped seeing Dominic and Tish decided to pursue him and did not tell Noah," the source shared.

As for the rest of the family, ET's source said that Miley Cyrus had "no idea" about Noah and Dominic's previous involvement when she served as a bridesmaid at her mom's wedding.

Tish and Billy Ray Cyrus were married for 28 years, during which time they split up and filed for divorce three times, reconciling repeatedly until Tish's final filing in April 2022. In the filing, it was noted that the two had not lived together since February 2020, and she cited irreconcilable differences as the grounds for their divorce.

RELATED CONTENT: