Misc
Hundreds of ‘Shipping Wars’ Fans Left Online Condolences After Roy Garber’s Death
A&E seems to have quietly canceled Shipping Wars, but the reality show wasn't the same without Roy Garber anyway. The 49-year-old — known on the show as "The Handyman" — died on Jan. 17, 2014, just two days after filming wrapped on the fifth season.
Roy's longtime girlfriend told TMZ he suffered a heart attack, was rushed to a Texas hospital, and passed away shortly thereafter. Other sources told the site Roy had lived with a heart condition for some time. In the wake of the news, a Shipping Wars rep told TMZ the production team was "deeply saddened by the loss of a member of the A&E family."
In Roy's online bio, A&E described him as "a serious jack-of-all-trades and a major know-it-all." He single-handedly raised his son, Travis, by operating a construction and remodeling company. And after Travis was grown, Roy made shipping his "full-time job and passion," starting Arbie's Team Transport with Travis and becoming one of the top-earning transporters in the country.
"From TIG welding to catching alligators, he seems to have experience with everything and hasn't found a load or situation he couldn't tackle (and isn't afraid to tell you so)," the network added. "An avid fisherman and master scuba diver, he sometimes heads to the deep waters of the Gulf Coast in pursuit of the largest shark he can find."
Legacy.com posted a brief obituary for the reality star — a 24-word blurb, really — but more than 1,400 condolences have been posted the page.
"Best trucker on Shipping Wars," wrote one fan. "Always told people how it was and how it was going to be. Will miss you not being on the show. Rest in peace, brother."
"Discovered Shipping Wars not [too] long ago," said another fan. "Instantly you were our favorite one! R.I.P."
On the show, Jennifer Brennan found her own way to pay tribute to Roy: She transported a pair of larger-than-life hillbilly animatronics he had shipped the season prior. "I know Roy's looking down on me right now… and not scowling," she quipped.
Even uShip, the trucking auction house featured on Shipping Wars, posted its own tribute video, as you can see above. It's clear a lot of people — both colleagues and fans — will miss this particular handyman, and we hope his loved ones are have been coping with the loss.
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