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It
is with deep regret and a heavy heart that I inform you that Chris
Futhey passed away today (19 December, 2009) from a heart attack
suffered during an armwrestling practice in Albuquerque. Chris had just
finished a match at the table and was standing by the wall when he
collapsed. Several people on the Team administered CPR until the
ambulance got there and continued working on him. He was pronounced
dead at Lovelace Hospital a short time later.
I talked with him two days ago and he was in good spirits as we were planning our carpooling for the upcoming El Paso tourney and he was anxious to get some table time for the big NM State event. Chris turned 50 this year and was planning on pulling at the Unified Nationals in the Grand Masters class where we were all confident that he would qualify and represent the US at the WAF World's in NV. Chris Futhey had a Hall of Fame career and has dominated NM Armwrestling for the past 3 1/2 years. I know I speak for all of Team NM when I say that the time that Chris spent training the pullers and raising everyone's level to his own was one of the main reasons for the success of this Team. He was a brilliant technician and a great teacher and I never met anyone who did not like him. You could hear his laugh across the room and a lot of people would come to practice just to train with him. He was more than a friend to all of us in this organization......he was family......and we are all going to miss him and his laid back, fun-loving personality a lot. He is survived by his wife Heather and his daughters Stephanie and Lauren, who live in CA. He died doing what he loved to do and what he was the best at doing in the company of his friends who cared about him and respected him more than he will ever know. When I told my 9 year old son about Chris' passing he said, "So Dad, Chris Futhey pretty much was a legend in New Mexico Armwrestling?".......I smiled and said, "Yes Buddy, he was." Rest In Peace Chris Futhey, "The Master of the Futhey Flop and New Mexican Armwrestling Shidoshi" Please send cards and condolences to: Heather Futhey HC 65 Box 90 Pie Town, NM. 87827 Jeff Ames New Mexico ArmSports Some videos of Chris during his 2008 supermatch with Russ Stark, courtesy of Gary Roberts, ArmTV: All Matches Match 1 Match 2 Match 3 In memory of Chris Futhey:  Chris vs. Justin Tanner
 Chris vs. Russ Stark
 Chris vs Eric Wolfe
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