I've been fortunate to not lose many friends in my life. I've lost a brother, my Dad, grandparents, classmates, etc. But only a few friends. And of the friends I've lost, most were friends from long ago. That changed on December 1st, 2025.
Andrew Hill (aka Ton) was a good friend. He was part of our small group of friends who care for and take care of our friend Nick, who has battled with Parkinson's for over a decade. Before Nick moved into his current care facility, Ton opened his home to Nick and took care of him, no questions asked.
That was the kind of person Ton was.
I first met Ton in early 2018 at a birthday party for DJ Sandman at a now-destroyed roller rink in South Tampa. Nick had moved back to Spring Hill after years in Tampa and I didn't see him often. When I went to Sandman's party, Nick was accompanied by this large man who was catering to Nick's every need. I had no idea who this dude was or where he came from. But it was clear from the get-go he was there for Nick. Not gonna lie, I was still a little suspicious.
But I quickly learned Ton had a huge heart. As I mentioned, Nick stayed with Ton and when Nick wanted to have people over to watch WWE events, Ton would open his home as a gracious host. Ton even drove Nick to a NXT (WWE Minor League) event in 2019 in Tampa so we could all go to a show together. That was the night Ton discovered my penchant for wearing giant afro wigs to wrestling events as well as my habit for trash talking wrestlers. That night, a few whiny fans wanted me thrown out for engaging with the wrestlers. Ton thought it was hilarious that security sided with me rather than the overly-sensitive fans.
Over the years, there was always an open line of communication in our circle. While some conversations inevitably covered what we were doing for Nick, we also talked about several other things, such as Ton's history in hip-hop or whatever . Ton was always eager to support whatever project I had going on, such as my novel or my project documenting the life of Tampa DJ Kenny K. Ton had a love for his friends and wanted them to succeed and he wanted to help.
Even as his own health started to falter, Ton would still call me and ask how he could help Nick. If he had a spare dollar, he offered to buy Nick food or other needed items. I would tell Ton to focus on himself, but he insisted and continued to give of himself. He would always talk about helping Nick. This year, he added conversation for his wedding with his fiance Darlene. When I told him that I am an ordained minister, he asked if I would wear the big afro wig and dress up like a pimp to marry him and Darlene. How could I refuse?
Most recently, Ton would appear in my chatrooms while I was entertaining the internet on TikTok. Whether online or in person, he continued to support me and even offered to make videos promoting my book. I'm sure they would have been hilarious.
Ton was a great dude with a great heart. We lost one of our brothers. He will be missed.
