Best Of

Fuck. I had some great exchanges with @pawz and reached out to him in November 2023 when I went to a game. He was dealing with his medical stuff then and at some point in 2024, it seemed like he was doing better.

RIP to a great guy, you’ll be missed.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of one of our OG's, Pawz.

His real name was Andrew and he passed away on October 17th from cancer.

Pawz was a staunch supporter of both Husky Football and HardcoreHusky.com. When the annual fundraiser rolled around he was always one of the first to donate and send an encouraging note. He'd say "Always supporting the site!" or "Anything for the site!"

He could be an intense guy and it showed at HcH get togethers. He'd point a finger and strongly emphasize a point on whatever topic we were discussing. I would smile and push back and we'd go back and forth until resolution.

He got a kick out of the late @puppylove_sugarsteel and would either delight in a recent Pup rant or express frustration over how much a douche Pup could be.

Pawz's interests expanded beyond Husky Football, of course. He was immensely passionate about poker and downhill skiing. (Whenever you've seen me post an occasional link to a poker video, it was with Pawz in mind).

The last time I saw him in person was 10-11 months ago at a Hardcore Husky get together at Romio's in Kirkland. Given that he and I were both going through medical travails, we compared notes as it were. Physically he was looking halfway-decent, but I was shocked when he pulled out his phone and showed me photos from a few months earlier. In the pics he was emaciated and weary-looking. The procedures he had gone through were difficult and taxing.

During this past summer there were a couple of times where I noticed he'd been absent from the boards. I would reach out and he indicated that his medical situation had developed complications. Earlier in this football season, he posted on the boards that he was in the hospital and trying to find a broadcast to a game. (I believe it was UW vs. Ohio State). After we recommended YouTubeTV, he posted a pic from his hospital bed of two games going, including the Husky game.

Six days ago I noticed that he hadn't logged onto HcH since October 5th. I sent him a message, but didn't hear back. Later in the week the word came that he had passed away on October 17th.

As Hardcore Husky heads toward its 14th year, I reflect back on the friends we've lost. From BeaverMobile, DeLarry, Pup and now Pawz. (There is also one other that I am 99% sure has passed but I haven't confirmed it so I will withhold his name).

At our next Hardcore Husky get together, which at this point looks to be in the Spring, we will raise our glasses and toast to the memory of the great Husky fan, Andrew aka Pawz. He was 47 years old.