The reality TV show Tanked ran on the Animal Planet network from August 2011 to December 2018. The series documents the day-to-day on-goings at the Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM) company and its employees.
Over the years, the show’s cast has changed, with some appearing in one episode and others being regulars, appearing in more than 50 episodes. One of those regulars is “The General,” whose real name is Irwin Raymer.
Irwin was low-key but played a critical role in the day-to-day management of the ATM office. When Animal Planet’s Tanked wrapped up, everyone on the show went on to do their own thing.
There have been a lot of rumours about what happened to The General on Tanked.
But what gives? What really happened to Irwin ”The General” Raymer? Is he still alive, and what does he do these days?
Read on to discover the real story of what happened to the oldest cast member on Tanked.
Who Is Irwin, “The General” Raymer?
Irwin Raymer, aka, The General, was a key cast member of the reality television show, Tanked. Raymer was born in 1944 in the United States, but only a little is known to the public about his family history, including his parents, siblings and educational background.
What we do know is that Raymer grew up in New York, as he told many stories about his childhood there. He referred to his upbringing in the Big Apple quite a number of times during the show and always followed up his stories with lessons and teachings for living life, which endeared him to followers and fellow cast members.
Although it isn’t clear whether Raymer has a partner, the fact that he has a son, Brett Raymer, and a daughter, Heather King Raymer, means he was once in a relationship.
In a 2018 tweet, his son Brett posted a picture of himself, his father and his mother and explained that was the first and only picture he had taken with his parents, given that the couple divorced when he was only two years old.
He Earned The Nicknames General and Fixer
Fans always wonder how Irwin Raymer acquired the nicknames General and Fixer. We believe the name The General came about as a respectful way for his children to address their old man.
Although not public knowledge, it could be that Raymer had a military background and the nickname The General simply honours his role in the military forces.
Aside from The General, Irwin has also nicknamed The Fixer during his time on Tanked. He worked as the office manager, ensuring smooth operations at the fish tank-making company.
Aside from managing the office and being a sales coordinator, Raymer is also very skilled at machine cutting and pitched in many times during the show to execute complicated projects involving making custom tanks for clients.
According to the rest of the Tanked cast, Irwin is also an excellent mediator and would help fix interpersonal issues between cast members.
How Did Irwin Raymer Start Working With His Children?
It may come as a surprise that ATM cofounder Brett Raymer and Wayde King’s wife, Heather King, are Irwin’s children.
Yep! The Raymer family works together, and if their on-screen relationship and interactions are anything to go by, they seem like a close-knit and happy family of dad, son, and daughter.
How did the ATM team start working together? Well, it all began when Wayde King built a custom aquarium for Irwin Raymer’s family.
So impressed was Irwin, who was doing other business at the time, with Wayde’s workmanship, that he proposed they start a serious business making and selling fish tanks in Las Vegas and beyond.
Wayde, an aquarium expert passionate about marine life, latched on to the idea but guess who else was also interested in joining? Brett, of course!
So the idea of an acrylic tank-making business was Irwin Raymer’s, but Wayde & Brett pieced the puzzle, and together they launched their business in a 13,000 sq. ft. facility in downtown Las Vegas.
Soon, Heather, Irwin’s daughter and Brett’s sister, joined the team, and that’s how they all began working together as a family. Inevitably Wayde King took an interest in Heather, and the two eventually married while still operating the family business and even went ahead and had two children of their own.
Unfortunately, the couple eventually divorced.
The General Ran Another Business Before Joining ATM
Irwin Raymer handled and sold machinery for years before he joined ATM, where he worked as the shop manager. Raymer’s in-depth machinery knowledge was critical in helping the team of artists and designers at ATM estimate costs and develop cost-effective approaches to build their custom fish tanks while meeting clients’ needs.
When Wayde first came to Las Vegas, Irwin taught him a lot about acrylic cutting machinery. This practical information and Irwin’s sound guidance came in handy in building ATM into the formidable company it became.
How Much Is Irwin Raymer Worth?
Although Irwin was a key business partner in ATM, we really do not have much information to go by concerning the old man’s net worth. While working as an office manager and custodian, he also sold machinery, contributing to his income stream.
In addition, he was a recurring cast member of the Tanked reality series, and Animal Planet definitely compensated him.
Irwin Raymer Death Rumors
Some fans have been wondering: Did Irwin Raymer die? Since Tanked wrapped up, there have been all kinds of rumours about the death of a cast member.
People naturally assumed that Irwin Raymer was the one who passed away, given that he was the oldest.
The good news is Irwin “The General” Raymer is alive and well. To be fair, so far, no one from Tanked has died.
The rumours about Irwin Raymer’s death are just that: rumours that you should pay no attention to. Fans can rest assured that the reality star is doing great.
Is Irwin Raymer Still In Television?
Although Irwin was good on television, we have yet to see much of him on the screens. It would be safe to assume that since Tanked was cancelled, the elder Raymer has not pursued an acting career.
Not much is known about what he is doing now, but he’s probably doing what he does best: trading machinery and cracking his usual dad/old man jokes.
We wish Irwin Raymer all the best wherever he may be!
