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(Topic ID: 227140)

RIP @Drewblood419

By VolunteerPin

5 years ago

Topic Heartbeat

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75 posts
49 Pinsiders participating
Latest reply 1 year ago by MT45
Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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#1 5 years ago

VolunteerPin

Pinside member

Knoxville, TN

11y 88,650 3,977 10 11

It is with a heavy heart to let Pinside know that one of our most kind and helpful Pinsiders past away this morning after a nearly one year battle with leukemia. Andy is one of the first people I met when I started in the pinball hobby and he quickly became one of my best friends - not just a pinball friend but a true friend. Anyone that has interacted with Andy can attest to his genuine kindness. He was a great person and will be sorely missed.

Andy is how I learned that pinball brings people together from different walks of life. If it were not for pinball I would have never met Andy and I will be forever grateful for my friendship with him. Even as I type this, tears well up in my eyes.

Andy was the kind of guy that severe illness could not dampen his kindness and attitude. He never exhibited bitterness nor did he ever lose hope. Just the other week he and I spoke about trying to meet at the upcoming Nashville pinball show. He had been at Vanderbilt for the last many months and was very hopeful that some other Knoxville pinheads could meet him for a few hours of pinball if his strength would allow. Alas, it is not to be but I am thankful that my last conversation with him was one of hope for a brighter future. For sure, his future is now brighter than ever as he is now with the Lord and finally cured of his cancer.

I hope I am a better person for knowing Andy.

#2 5 years ago

LTG

Pinside member

Hopkins, MN

12y 191K 56,991 24 7

My condolences to Andy's loved ones and friends.

LTG : (

#3 5 years ago

JPM

jmountjoy111

Pinside member

Williamsburg, KY

10y 109K 3,431 84

Man this is heart breaking. I had dealt with Andrew several times over the years and he truly was a great guy. He will be missed for sure.

#4 5 years ago

KMT

mozach

Pinside member

Peachtree City, GA

10y 82,550 380 7

I echo a lot of what Darin said. I met Andy several years ago through a pin transaction and we stayed close through the years. We would always call each other and bat trade ideas off each other. It’s amazing how something as simple as pinball can bring people together. We hung out many times and he was truly a friend. I last spoke to him a few weeks ago and even though he was very sick, we still talked pinball. He will be missed for sure. There aren’t many like Andy.

#5 5 years ago

PBP

PopBumperPete

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 103K 4,039 8

#6 5 years ago

AHS

hoby1

Pinside member

Allentown, PA

12y 105K 4,271 9

Dont know the man and only heard of him now. Common interests bring good people together and thats why were all on this forum.

Sorry for your loss and his struggle. May he rest in piece brother.

#7 5 years ago

ODB

Gryszzz

Pinside+ Frequent

Indianapolis, IN

10y 120K 13,263 9

OH NO
A true metalhead.
RIP brother.
Damn

#8 5 years ago

ODB

Gryszzz

Pinside+ Frequent

Indianapolis, IN

10y 120K 13,263 9

I didn't know him, but I felt like I did from our camaraderie here. Was a musician and loved his metal. This is heartbreaking. Oh man.

#9 5 years ago

RAN

Ranhorton

Pinside member

12y 95,550 2,056

My thoughts and prayers are with Andy and especially his family. My youngest was just diagnosed with leukemia. I can only imagine how hard this must be for Andy’s family. If you are starting a fund or taking donations please PM me. I’d like to help.
-Ran

#10 5 years ago

rotordave

Pinside+ Frequent

14y 210K 13,705

It was a pleasure to meet Andy (and Darin, Tim and the ladies) when we drove through Tennessee two years ago.

I had no idea Andy was sick. Best wishes to all in the local community and to Andy’s family.

CF0AAE7A-E4AE-4EA4-9705-8DEF6A9CAC7E (resized).jpeg

#11 5 years ago

DAS

luckymoey

Pinside+ Frequent

10y 105K 2,079 44 1

Very sad to hear about Andy. I heard he was ill but had no idea how bad it was. We did a number of trades and hung out over the years. It was always easy and fun to do a deal together. Was always in a good mood and excited about pinball. Some people just want to do the deal and leave. Not Andy. He loved hanging out and making another friend in the community. Will always remember how much he loved his Metallica. Let me play it for 1/2 hour the first time we ever met.

#12 5 years ago

VolunteerPin

Pinside member

Knoxville, TN

11y 88,650 3,977 10 11

RD, that's a great photo. Thanks for sharing it. (for folks who don't know, Andy is on the far left).

#13 5 years ago

JAM

NPO

Pinside member

12y 133K 7,655 3 17

Awwwww man. Was this the guy I met when picking up JM from you in 2016???

#14 5 years ago

BUZ

Buzz

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 106K 3,115

I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but it sucks when the world looses a great person. He definitely sounds like a great person and very sad for his family and friends.

#15 5 years ago

TIM

MT45

Pinball Loft

Lenoir City, TN

11y 110K 2,371 38 10

OP
Quoted from VolunteerPin:
Andy is how I learned that pinball brings people together from different walks of life. If it were not for pinball I would have never met Andy and I will be forever grateful for my friendship with him. Even as I type this, tears well up in my eyes.

Darin said it all right there. Its been a long day and many tears as well. I've never met anyone as kind or as giving. He was the first local to reach out to me in friendship via Pinside. As with Darin, Andy changed me for the better. He changed how I think in such a positive way. I spoke to Andy last week and, as always he was so optimistic. We talked pinball, sunglasses and when/if he might be able to come home for a while. I am so glad I made that call.

When I got the message from Andy's dad this morning, I was in the airport and broke down in front of everyone - not much I could do. He was that kind of guy. Andy was only 38 years old. I will miss him terribly.

Below is a picture of Andy doing what he was always doings ... helping others.
In this case, he was helping me haul a pinball into the house when he probably had better things to do. That was Andy. A real friend

IMG_0484 (resized).jpg

#16 5 years ago

JCF

joefox22

Pinside+ Frequent

Middletown, DE

7y 91,600 248 11 2

Oh wow I bought his RBION not long ago he mentioned being sick, but it said he was fighting hard. So sad. RIP

#17 5 years ago

NDE

Spyderturbo007

Pinside member

9y 108K 5,648

Sounds like a great guy whom was lost too early. My condolences to all who knew him.

#18 5 years ago

JMR

Only_Pinball

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 141K 3,637 6

Very sad. I bought my MMr color upgrade chip from Andy. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

#19 5 years ago

JAM

Wolfmarsh

Pinside member

12y 134K 10,956

Sorry to hear about his passing, it's never easy to lose someone who made the world brighter.

#20 5 years ago

???

flipnout1

Pinside member

11y 72,050 940

I met Andrew through pinball many years ago. I followed his progress and watched what I thought was his recovery from his illness. Recent posts showed him up and out walking around a bit. What a shock to the news of his passing. He loved his little girl so much. Rip Andrew

#21 5 years ago

NIK

mufcmufc

Pinside member

14y 63,550 665 19 43

They say he only takes the good ones early, seems apt in this case

#22 5 years ago

BSK

Bryan_Kelly

Pinside+ Frequent

Lakeville, MN

12y 135K 8,484 8 1

38? Way too young. So sad.

#23 5 years ago

AAA

pintechev

Inactive member

11y 91,300 4,437

Rest In Peace brother. Very sad.

#24 5 years ago

KRC

Rockytop

Pinside+ Frequent

10y 117K 2,367 21 107

I bought an AMH from him about 3 years ago. I remember he talked about his little girl. Sad.

#25 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Sana'a

12y 169K 40,259 18

RIP

#26 5 years ago

KER

Kerry_Richard

Pinside+ Frequent

Danville, CA

12y 83,900 3,024

Very sad news indeed... I never knew Andy, but feel as if he was part of the family. My heart is breaking for his family, especially his daughter.

#27 5 years ago

MWY

myork82

Pinside member

Bowling Green, KY

11y 47,300 686 1

Man I hate this. I never met Andrew but we had talked Pinball and Oakley Sunglasses a lot! He had took on a hobby of refurbing Oakley X-metal Sunglasses since he had been in the hospital so we had been chatting a bunch about that. A couple he had fixed up.

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#28 5 years ago

SLV

Steve_in_Escalon

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 84,050 611

Very sad. A great loss to his family, friends, and the pinball community.

#29 5 years ago

BRC

jellikit

Pinside member

Plainfield, IL

11y 106K 4,453 6

I will take from this thread the positive experiences others had with Andy having not met him myself. It is sad to hear of his passing.

Brad

#30 5 years ago

SMK

TheLaw

Pinside+ Addict

Ann Arbor, MI

12y 162K 48,074 19 30 1

RIP

#31 5 years ago

LUV

RandomGuyOffCL

Pinside member

9y 83,800 2,075

Wow 38...that’s disgusting

I’m at my friends backyard brewery right now sipping on his latest batch by myself because he’s down for a nap right now from the chemo...like my nooby pour?

This ones for Andy...

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#32 5 years ago

VolunteerPin

Pinside member

Knoxville, TN

11y 88,650 3,977 10 11

Andy would've enjoyed a good home brew...

#33 5 years ago

DCR

sc93cobra

pinballplating.com - HRA

Nashville, TN

10y 99,800 1,024 143

Was incredibly sad to hear of Andrew's passing, today. Such a great dude. He was supposed to try to come hang with us at the opening of a new pinball bar here in Nashville a few weeks back, but his treatment got pushed back to much later in the day than normal. He was always very supportive of others and genuinely cared for people. He will be missed.

#34 5 years ago

TDR

Who-Dey

In Memoriam

9y 117K 11,746 7 12

I didnt know Andy but man how sad this is. RIP Andy

#35 5 years ago

RML

tpn2011

Pinside member

Gulf Shores, AL

12y 55,900 1,418 1

Man this is sad news been away from pinball the past few years never met Andy in person but was a great friend talked to him a lot via phone text etc was a great guy who will be missed !!
Rip brother

#36 5 years ago

REW

woody76

Pinball Marketing

Nashville, TN

9y 142K 6,848 6 98

hate to hear this, he was a great dude. He has precious little girl that he adored. prayers going out.

#37 5 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

Newland, NC

12y 74,800 2,875 19 7

Praying for his family. So sad

#38 5 years ago

SMS

ViolinSteve

Pinside member

10y 86,550 817 8

So sorry to hear. Prayers for his family. RIP

3 weeks later

#39 5 years ago

KMT

mozach

Pinside member

Peachtree City, GA

10y 82,550 380 7

Wow. This is a must read. It’s Andy’s story....

https://thepinballloft.com/andy-part-2/

#40 5 years ago

VolunteerPin

Pinside member

Knoxville, TN

11y 88,650 3,977 10 11

agreed ^

#41 5 years ago

TDR

Who-Dey

In Memoriam

9y 117K 11,746 7 12

Wow....I’m speechless.

#42 5 years ago

NJM

NeilMcRae

Pinside+ Pro!

London

12y 147K 4,496 70 20

godspeed Andy.

#43 5 years ago

TEB

homebrood

Pinside+ Frequent

Glenview, IL

17y 81,300 1,309 12 10

So sorry, looks like a real nice guy just from the pics. Never met Andy but so sorry for the loss for his family and those that knew him...

Tom

#44 5 years ago

ARN

Acampero

Pinside member

Thousand Oaks, CA

11y 47,900 1,027 6 8

Quoted from mozach:
Wow. This is a must read. It’s Andy’s story....
https://thepinballloft.com/andy-part-2/

That was a beautifully written story about a beautiful human.

I didn't know you man, but Godspeed on your next journey.

#45 5 years ago

TPV

gearheaddropping

Pinside member

Macomb, MI

12y 67,300 2,042 16 20

Incredible story. Amazing job by the author. I feel like I have known Andy for years.

RIP Andy.

#46 5 years ago

SMS

ViolinSteve

Pinside member

10y 86,550 817 8

Amazing story. I'm so glad I read that. What an awesome tribute to a great guy.

#47 5 years ago

LMJ

Lmjdad

Pinside member

12y 49,800 232

I never met Andy, feel horrible, life’s too short. Prayers to his family.

#48 5 years ago

JEF

jrockne

Pinside member

18y 70,550 604 10

I never met Andy, but I reached out to him once for some advice on a game and he was very nice and helped me figure things out. This hits home hard as I too am 38 years old. My thoughts are with his family.

#49 5 years ago

TIM

MT45

Pinball Loft

Lenoir City, TN

11y 110K 2,371 38 10

Quoted from mozach:
Wow. This is a must read. It’s Andy’s story....
https://thepinballloft.com/andy-part-2/

Thanks all for the kind comments. I’m not a trained writer and I was only writing what was on my heart and the words of his closest friends. It was a blessing to me to be able to do this. So many people contributed and deserve the thanks like Darin VolunteerPin and others who agreed to my interviews during a very challenging and emotional time. I am so very happy to hear that WHO Andy really was came out clearly in the tribute. That was my intent.

3 weeks later

#50 5 years ago

JMD

darkryder

Pinside+ Frequent

Santa Clara, CA

10y 85,300 1,633 23 21 1

Didn't know him, but Andy sounds like a great guy who was taken too early. R.I.P. pinball brother

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