Loss of a friend! From the "history channel"

The Ringling article below was sent to me, along with this question, " Hey Wade

who is this guy? I never heard of him?

Was he really a trainer or is this a big lying propaganda campaign from PETA?"

I couldn't say for sure, as I didn't know him, but the picture above, and the
comments are from the "history channel" on Nov. 4th.

Hello Buckles,

Sammy Haddock pasted away @ 7:04 this morning. There will be a service this Friday but I do not have the details as of yet. His sister will let us know and if you would be so kind as to put it up on your blog it would be greatly appreciated by his family.
Thank you,
Helen Haffner

Hello Buckles,

Sammy Haddock's memorial service will be at 2:00 PM Friday 11/6/09

Minneola Alliance Church
405 South Main Avenue
Minneola, FL 34715

There will be an open mic for anyone who would like to share in the celebration of Sammy's life.

Helen Haffner

Little John said...

I met Sammy in the sixth grade when I was the new Preacher’s kid in Clermont in 1967, we were a wild bunch. I saw him again driving a goat (a fruit harvesting truck,) through the orange grove behind Circus World as I was walking to work from Edge Hill. Knowing that he would have a natural gift around elephants I suggested he come a work for Gary on the ride. One night after we closed HoJo’s, and when Sammy was new to all of this, we snuck into the back lot; I was talking to Kenneth and Sammy was somewhere down around Hurk. Sammy calls for me because Hurk had just sunk a claw into his arm and was pulling him toward the cage. I was about ten feet from a long stick in the other direction but decided to charge and scream bloody murder at Hurk. This worked and Sammy backs up with a fountain of blood squirting out of his arm. The most amazing thing about that night was that I didn’t kill the both of us or anyone in my path on the way to the hospital. A few weeks later Sammy saved my life from a lion that became awake and wondered away from a squeeze cage and traped me in the feed room. (Not so dramatic or life threatening but it was enough to make us even and relive me from being accountable for the Sammy’s actions of the rest of his life.) Sadly it’s been about ten years since I last saw Sammy since he has lived only twenty minutes away for all these years.

04 November, 2009 19:43

GaryHill said...

I was thinking about Sammy today as I drove between appointments! I was going to e-mail Little John to find out any news about Sammy. I will always have fond memories of him as a really nice and good friend. He worked well with others and always seemed to be in the best of spirits. I have got to figure out this utube stuff and get the elephant walk from Circus World to the train when we left for the Blue Unit. I have a DVD for you Capt, if I only had an address to mail it to? If the Shaz wants to e-mail me some info about how to do it I will try? I am counting who is gone now and get Mike, Ted, Billy, Dan, Ben and Sammy? Who's left?? Gary J., Chico, David M., Me(Gary H), and Donald B. of the orginal crew from Winter Quarters and CW?

04 November, 2009 22:23

GaryHill said...

I didn't mean to leave out Tom H. by any means!Or Ecoch,whatever happened to him anyway?

04 November, 2009 22:25

Karen Glenn said...

I am so sorry to hear that Sammy passed away. He was a good guy from our old gang, back in the day at Circus World (FL)and a fun person. I am so sad to keep learning of these awesome guys passing away...our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

05 November, 2009 00:50

joey ratliff said...

I worked with Sammy at the CEC and found him to be a very good guy. My first week there he took of showing the new guy around. Enjoyed the stories he and Tom told and his sense of humor.

05 November, 2009 07:41

Little John said...

Strange: I too was thinking a lot about Sammy yesterday before I opened Captains’ Blog. In many ways Sammy was like the brother that I never had. I am planning to attended tomorrow and it will be hard for me because I feel so bad that I didn’t make more of an effort to see my old friend sooner.

05 November, 2009 16:22

GaryHill said...

Little John, I will be there with you in my thoughts!

05 November, 2009 21:22

Steve said...

Gary,

Is this gentleman any relation to Joe Haddock - currently with the elephants at Taronga Zoo in Australia?

30 October, 2009 15:51

Buckles said...

Sammy was from the Florida Haddocks.
Ted used to say that he was the first of that family to travel north of Georgia.

31 October, 2009 06:31