(CNN) John J. Ford loved golf, a good cigar and, until the time of his death, the Minnesota Vikings.

The 86-year-old Minnesotan was a Vikings fan right up until their loss this month against the Seattle Seahawks.

It's fitting he'd call out the team he devoted much of his life to in his death.

The way the obituary in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune tells it, the great-grandfather passed away "after the Vikings allowed 17 unanswered points" in a Monday Night Football match-up.

"He certainly loved the Vikings," his wife, Jane, told CNN. "He passed away right in the middle of the game as they were losing. He just figured he couldn't pull out another win for them."

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