Richard C. Ingling, former Burlington County police
officer and longtime pro wrestling referee, has died at
75
by Gary Miles
Published May 13, 2026, 4:36 p.m. ET
Rich Ingling went to wrestling school at the Monster Factory
in Paulsboro. At 5-feet-11, 170 pounds, he couldn’t be a
professional wrestler. So he wore a striped shirt in the
ring, was nicknamed the Enforcer, and routinely supervised
300-pound brawlers such as Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the
Butcher.
Since the 1980s until last year, at 74, he was a pro
wrestling referee, and he worked hundreds of steel cage
matches, tag-team bouts, and royal rumbles at shows around
the country. His favorite saying was: “If you can’t change
it, tuck and roll.”
In the 1990s, in his 40s, he wrestled alligators at
Gatorland theme park in Florida. Colleagues said in a
tribute that he “understood the wrestling world from the
inside.”
Rich Ingling was also military police in the Army, a police
officer for a decade in North Hanover and Hainesport
Townships in Burlington County, security manager at Walt
Disney World in Orlando in the 1990s, and an expert
consultant in security, criminal investigations, and
polygraph exams in South Jersey, Florida, Las Vegas, and New
Orleans. He founded a limousine service and consulted in
hotel risk management before retiring in 2020.
He enlisted in the Army after high school when his draft
number came up first, spent eight years in Vietnam and
Germany, and earned the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star
Medals. He and his wife, Cindy, moved from Orlando to
Milton, Del., recently to be close to his family.
On Friday, March 27, Rich Ingling died suddenly at his home.
He was 75. The cause of death has not been determined, his
family said.
“He had passion for security and the wrestling world,” his
wife said. “In both, he was helping people. It was a great
combination.”
Everybody said Mr. Ingling was adventurous. He was
innovative and energetic. He liked to say: “Make memories
now as we may not all be here next year,” “Take those
pictures,” and “Ask people, ‘how you doin’?’ That’s a Jersey
thing.’”
He wrestled in high school, found his niche as a referee in
the pro show, and was hired by the Tri-State Wrestling
Alliance, the National Wrestling Federation, World
Championship Wrestling, and other organizations, to oversee
some of their biggest events.
“He was a gentle, kind, and sweet soul, and I loved him
dearly.”
Women's Wrestling Hall of Famer Carmela Foss on Mr.
Ingling
He joined pro wrestling’s social club, the Cauliflower Alley
Club, in the 1990s and became its longtime popular executive
vice president and treasurer. Every year he reveled in
presenting its Courage Award, and colleagues said in a
tribute: “That wasn’t just an award to Rich. It was
personal. It was a reflection of his belief in people, in
resilience, and in being there for one another when it
matters most.”
Recently, the club renamed the honor as the Rich Ingling
Courage Award.
Mr. Ingling was a community-minded police officer in the
1970s and ‘80s, and made it a point to lecture often at
schools and public events about drugs. In 1982, he spoke to
students at Chesterfield Elementary School and was quoted in
The Inquirer: “You don’t need this stuff. Get a natural
high. There’s nothing in the world like playing football or
soccer. And remember, I hope you consider me a friend if you
have trouble.”
Friends called him “welcoming, friendly, and a true class
act” and a “very kind person and a tireless worker” in
Facebook tributes. He was an engaging storyteller, and his
family said: “He formed lasting friendships wherever he
went, connecting with people from all walks of life.”
Richard Calvin Ingling was born Sept. 14, 1950, in
Burlington. He grew up in Medford, and ran cross-country,
wrestled, played baseball, and graduated from Lenape High
School in 1969.
He served in the Army from 1969 to 1977. He married Patricia
Johnson, and they had daughters Jennifer and Heather.
After a divorce, he met Cindy Wix at Disney World. They
married in 1998 and lived in Orlando and Las Vegas before
moving to Delaware.
Mr. Ingling enjoyed gardening, Philly pretzels, sangria, all
kinds of desserts, and a good cigar, his family said. He
volunteered as Santa Claus for department stores and civic
groups, and doted on his grandchildren and dog.
He and his wife traveled the country together often.
“He was rare,” colleagues at the Cauliflower Alley Club
said. “Truly rare. The kind of man who made you feel seen,
who made you feel like you mattered, and who never needed
recognition to do the right thing.”
His wife said: “He was as big as life.”
In addition to his wife and daughters, Mr. Ingling is
survived by four grandchildren and two sisters. Two brothers
died earlier.
A celebration of his life is to be held later.
Donations in his name may be made to the Cauliflower Alley
Club at www.caulifloweralleyclub.org.
