Darrell Sheets is being remembered by those closest to him.
After the former Storage Wars star’s death at age 67 two weeks ago, his ex-wife Kimber Wuerfel shared a tribute on Instagram reflecting on the impact he had on her life.
“I haven’t had the words until now,” she began in the caption on Thursday, April 30. “Thank you for all the love, prayers, and condolences, it has meant more than I can say.”
Wuerfel went on to honor Sheets’ legacy, adding, “Darrell gave us so many moments of laughter, connection, and life.”
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She also shared a message about grief and remembrance, writing, “May the memories you hold of him stay close to your heart, as mine will stay with me forever.”
Wuerfel concluded by noting that plans for a memorial service would be shared at a later time, adding, “From our family to yours, thank you.”
Alongside the tribute, she posted a photo of the two of them smiling together outdoors, with Sheets wrapping his arm around her as they posed in front of a casual bar setting.
Sheets and Wuerfel, a real estate agent based in Orange County, were together from roughly 2011 until their separation in 2016.
“Ever since I met this lovely lady we have had some great times, but Fourth of Julys have been so fun for us and a great time for us to be together,” Sheets captioned a July 2022 Instagram post of the pair on a boat.
Sheets was previously engaged to Romney Snyder, whom he credited with supporting him after he suffered a heart attack in 2019. “All your prayers would be deeply appreciated… Romney has been by my side through all of this. She is a good woman and I love her,” he wrote at the time.
Sheets was found dead in his Arizona home from an apparent suicide around 2 a.m. local time on April 22. According to a press release from the Lake Havasu City Police Department, officers responded to “a reported deceased individual” and discovered the reality star at the scene. He was pronounced dead on scene.
Authorities said the incident remains under investigation and asked anyone with information to contact the Lake Havasu City Police Department at 928-855-1171. Sgt. Kyle Ridgway also told PEOPLE that investigators are looking into cyberbullying allegations raised by Sheets’ Storage Wars costar René Nezhoda.
In an April 22 Instagram post, Nezhoda claimed that someone had been “really, really tormenting [Sheets] lately” and “cyberbullying” him.
“You never know what demons somebody faces and what they go through and what you might push them through,” Nezhoda said. “I also highly encourage law enforcement — Darrell has been posting a lot about the guy that has been cyberbullying and torturing him, and I really hope they look into that guy, and that’s just not a pass. Because it’s just not right.”
Nezhoda also reflected on their relationship, noting that while fans often believed they were rivals, they remained in touch. “We talked every now and then,” he said. “He was a very hard worker that cared more than anyone I’ve ever met about their family — about his son, about Zoe [his granddaughter], pretty much [all the] people in his life.”
Sheets was best known for his 163-episode run on A&E’s Storage Wars, which follows professional buyers bidding on abandoned storage units. He first appeared on the debut season in 2010 and earned the nickname “The Gambler.”
Following news of his death, A&E said in a statement: “We are saddened by the passing of a beloved member of our Storage Wars family, Darrell ‘The Gambler’ Sheets. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Sheets retired from the series in 2023 after 15 seasons and later opened an antique shop in Arizona called Havasu Show Me Your Junk.
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