Lonnie Teper:
ANDY HAMAN PASSES AWAY AT 55
I got the news in a 1:45 pm text from Dave Liberman on Saturday. A good source told Liberman that Andy Haman died. Although an autopsy has not yet been completed, Andy's wife Michelle said the death was due to complications from elbow joint surgery. Haman was 55 years old.
"The Doctors believe it was a massive blood clot to his heart, lungs or brain," she said early Sunday morning from her Colorado Springs, CO home. "
'If you recall, Andy tore his triceps about four years ago and had to have it completely reattached", Michelle said. "Last Sunday his elbow became very swollen and painful. He went to his Orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday, who drained it with a syringe and it was full of pus.
"The Doctor then cancelled the rest of his afternoon appointments and scheduled Andy for immediate surgery. After the surgery he was in the hospital for three more days on IV antibiotics and blood thinners.
"He came home Thursday afternoon and was fine on Friday, other than a huge splint on his arm. He was just laying on the bed, and rolled over and stopped breathing.
"He was taken off the bed and and CPR was started. Paramedics were called but they think it (death) was pretty much instant.
"One year ago Andy had a deep thrombosis in his calf, which broke off and went to his lung as a pulmonary embolism. He almost died there, but made it to the hospital, where he was put on IV blood thinners for 10 days. With his history of this the Doctor's believed that is what happened again."
Michelle said Andy was "larger than life and was as crazy and silly at home as people would see at Expos and that's how everyone should remember him"
Andy had the perfect last name....I called him Andy the Ham , meant in a good way, for his lively, creative persona. You never knew which character he would be portraying when he worked booths at Expos. But what you did know is there would always be long lines of fans waiting to get their shot at meeting the irrepressible one.
Haman eared pro status after winning the Masters Nationals, but he was best known at one time as an All-American high school and college wrestling champ. At the University of Iowa Haman wrestled under the iconic Dan Gable. He was also one of the strongest bodybuilders in the game.
He called me a couple times a few years ago, wanting to guest pose at my NPC West Coast Classic. Since I had Jay Cutler appearing nearly every year in that capacity, I politely declined the offer.
From my experience, Haman was a really nice man, and always had his entourage of Michelle and their four children with him at nearly all of his appearances.
I doubt any media member was as close to Haman as veteran journalist Bill Geiger, who was devastated by the sad news.
"Andy was one of the contracted athletes with MuscleMag International from 2008-2013," said Geiger, who was Group Editorial Director for MMI and Reps at the time.
"We did many photo shoots and trips together. He'd bring one large suitcase to each shoot filled with his goofy props, like a rubber chicken or his caveman outfit.
"Just an incredible man, gifted entertaining folks and a wonderful family man. Andy didn't just do what you asked, he was willing to go a step beyond.
"He was really a very considerate, caring individual".
I think all of us who got to know the man feel exactly the way you do, Bill.
Andy Haman, RIP.
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