News about Andy(biga) 1969-2001

[Guest biga]

To the members of the message centre community.

======================================================

I dont know if this is the right thing to do and if it is not i apologise but as you read hopefully you will understand why.

My name is Damon Wells and i was the partner up until about 5 hours ago of Andy known as "biga" here in the message centre.I am writing to inform you that Andy died suddenly last night 21st October here in Sydney Australia.

I have just returned to the hotel room we were sharing after informing his family and several close friends and noticed that his laptop computer was still switched on(a habit)at this page so i thought i would write this,Andy was very fond of this place and would check in every day if he could,he found it interesting,amusing,and infuriating in probably equal doses,and i think he would have wanted the people here to know what has happened.

At about 11.30 pm he decided to go for a walk for some air and as far as i can tell he collapsed in the hotel foyer the authorities told me it was probably a massive heart attack and he died instantly he was 31 years old,i was called minutes later but it was too late.

As you can imagine this is a shattering shock but i think i am in automatic pilot and am just looking for things to occupy myself.I think this is the main reason i have done this.

The last thing obviously is to disable the biga part of your board so it can be deactivated so whoever is responsible i hope that can be done.Thank you all D.M.Wells

[BuckyXTC]

Dear Damon:

 

I'm shocked and saddened to learn of Andy's death....I counted him a friend here at the Message Center. He was a wonderful presence here, and will be greatly missed. Know that you're in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

BuckyXTC

[Scorpio]

Damon, my deepest sympathies to you and Andy's family.

[Guest bottomboykk]

I am saddened by this news. His contributions here will be missed. I know you and all of his family are in shock and grief. My prayers are with all of you.

[Barry]

I read this in total shock. Early this morning I read some of Andy's posts which by the time stamps were just before he went for his walk. I don't know what to say but my thoughts and prayers are with Damon and all of Andy's family and friends. He left us spending his final days having a wonderful time on holiday with someone he loved. I can only hope that my last days are bathed in as much joy.

 

:'( Barry

[Justice]

Damon,

 

I really don't know what to say. I'm deeply saddened by your loss. :'( My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.

 

Peace,

 

Justice

[Guest Kevin 2]

My deepest condolences to you and Andy's family and friends. He will be missed.

[+ deej]

This is indeed bad news Damon. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Andy's family at this time.

 

Thank you for letting us know.

[OceanTraveller]

It is sad to hear the news about Andy. He will be missed:'(

[Guest Gentle Dude]

I am really deeply saddened by this. I just responded to one of his post before I went to bed early this morning.

 

To Damon and Andy's family,

 

May our thoughts and prayers help you through this difficult time. Andy was such a loving person....many of us will miss him dearly.

 

GD

[Guest WetDream]

Damon: BigA was one of the delights of this board. We will all miss his contributions. My best to you and to his family.

[marc anthony]

Please add my name to the list of those who wish to express sincere condolences.

[Guest biga]

From Damon 22/10/01 9.20am

==========================

I have just read the kind words that you have written and the tears began to flow again,I think that Andy would have been very honoured to see what you have taken the time out to write,I have spent the last few hours e-mailing and on the phone telling people the awful news.

I am steeling myself to go to the hospital later this morning to do what is necessary to free the body as soon as possible so i return home .

I have spoken to Andys sister Catherine several times and as she was the closest to him(he was the baby of the family nearly 5 years younger than her)and she is distraught obviously and has rung the rest of his family to tell them,I dont know what Andy said but it was only in the last 18 months or so that he and most of his family were reconciled after a severe split when he told the he was gay ,this led to Andy suffering severe depression and attempting suicide when he was 22 years old,about five months after we were together.

I feel very strange and i feel i am rambling just to fill time,i expect him to come through the door at any moment and start talking about 100 different ideas that he would have going through his mind,anyway thank you again for the kind words i appreciate it.Damon

[Guest JT]

Dear Damon,

 

Like many here, I'm in shock! I'm deeply saddened by Andy's passing. Please accept my heartfelt condolences to you and Andy's family. He will surely be missed by members of this community.

 

Take care,

JT

[Will]

Dear Damon, I'm as shocked and saddened as anyone else. Andy was a steady beam of light on this site and we will all miss him. It's wonderful how a place like M4M can create friendships among people who wouldn't recognize each other if they rang the doorbell. Certainly, Andy was as at home here as anyone else. And before you deactivate his user name and password, maybe you'd like to use the site yourself. We've been known to give TLC in great abundance, and you would certainly be a candidate for the best we have to offer. With deepest, heartfelt sympathy, Will

[CT Dick]

Dearest Damon,

I, too, am shocked by this news.

 

Although it happened way too soon, BigA was lucky to have you at the end and to die having such a good time. I have been reading his reviews of this trip with envy.

 

I remember his concern over his brother's financial trouble and his willingness to help. It appears that his heart was so big that it just gave out.

 

Dick

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

Damon, please don't be offended by this post. I accept your sincereity and recognized your special relationship with Andy. My reaction described below was motivated, not out of doubt of your veracity but out of hope that Andy had not passed from our presence.

 

I have been holding off all day on a post in the hope that this was just a hoax or a practical joke played on us or on Andy... and I do mean that it was MY HOPE. It is not beyond the realm of possibility given some of the things that have happened on this board in the past. However, as time passes this possibility seems to have vanished leading me to accept the sad circumstance that Andy truly has passed from our midst all too early. It is all the more sad because Andy was such young man who seemed so full of life. He was a bright and cheerful spirit on this board. He will be missed.

[HooBoy]

Damon,

 

I am saddened at not only your loss, but ours, too...

 

My sympathies to you and his family and the big circle of friends he made here.

 

Warmest regards,

HooBoy

[Guest BenDover]

Dear Friend,

My most sincere thoughts to you and Andy's family. You are in my prayers.

BenD

[Guest 7Zach]

I am very sorry about your loss, and the fact that you are out of the country just adds extra stress and the sense of surreal to it. I enjoyed Andy's posts...You're in my thoughts.

[Bilbo]

Thank you very much for letting us know about Andy's untimely passing. At the time of the horrors, there were several who disappeared and there was noone to let us know what had happened. I would be surprised if Andy is not already in Heaven, but you sound like you have quite a complicated adventure ahead of you, not only the usual mourning, but also the long trip back home and all the legal entanglements it comes with. You have my sincerest condolences, and please let me echo Will's invitation to let us help you through this time.

[Guest cp8036]

Damon,

 

My thoughts are with you during your loss. Wishing you and his family strength.

 

Like most people in cyberworld, we never meet, but many are well-known. Andy was one of the more intelligent and easy going folk here.

[Guest biga]

From Damon-A QUICK UPDATE

==========================

11.45PM 25/10/01 Sydney:

Thank you again for all the kind words this is just a quick update to let you know what has been going on,Tomorrow morning i fly back to England with Andy's body,the last few days seem to have been a blur of phone calls emails and dealing with various authorities.The post mortem concluded that Andy did indeed die of a massive myocardial infarction or heart attack there were several other pieces of medical jargon but to be honest i didn't take it all in.Anyway thanks again Damon