Owen Hart, 1965-1999

Owen Hart was a family man. He was the twelfth and final child born to wrestling legend Stu Hart, and his wife Helen in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hart openly admired his family, talking often about his wife Martha, and their two children - son Oje, 7, and Athena, just 4.

In a December 1998 interview for the Canadian web site Slam, Owen relieved, "every second that I'm home I spend doing something. Taking my son to hockey practice, my daughter to swimming, ballet or music, and little gym classes."

The high flying Hart had come to Kansas City, Missouri, to face The Godfather for the Intercontinental title at "Over the Edge." He was asked to make a "super hero" type entrance. Owen told his brother Bret he was reluctant about doing the stunt, but after practicing it three times the day of the event, he was reassured.

"I told him I didn't think it was safe," said Martha Hart. "We were like two puzzle pieces that fit together perfect."

While the pay-per-view audience was watching a pre-recorded interview of the Blue Blazer, Hart fell approximately seventy feet from the top of the Kemper Arena. An eyewitness in the building told me, "I thought it was a dummy, and so did many other people. Then I looked at Jerry Lawler and he is flipping through his papers. He realized that was not suppose to happened and ran to Owen."

A crowd of 16,000 plus watched silently as rescuers frantically performed CPR on the mortally injured wrestler. "It was a horrible thing to watch," said another spectator. “The crowd was totally stunned."

An autopsy revealed that Owen Hart died from massive internal bleeding from blunt chest trauma.

The official cause of death for Owen Hart is that one of his Blue Blazer feathers got caught on the release mechanism and was pulled on, causing Owen to be released above the ring. Hart was going to use the release switch when in the ring

“Owen was a pretty careful athlete who wouldn't have taken unnecessary risks or chances,'' Stu Hart told a reporter from his home in Calgary, Alberta.

Helen Hart told reporters, "It's a dangerous sport in more ways than you can know. I just never thought one of my boys would be killed."

The WWF presented a very emotional "Raw" show the next night. A ten-bell salute honored Owen Hart. Throughout the show, wrestlers shared their feelings and stories about Hart, often times breaking down in tears. The Rock, who teamed with Hart in the Nation of Domination, dedicated a People's elbow to the departed superstar, which was met with a thunderous ovation from the St. Louis crowd.

"My poor brother Owen was a sacrifice for the (TV) ratings, that's how I look at it," said Ellie Hart, Owen's sister. "I believe it's a serious wake-up call."

Hart's death is the third tragedy the large Calgary family has endured in the last 10 years.

In 1990, Owen's older brother Dean, one of eight brothers, died from injuries after a transit bus struck him. In 1996, Owen's nephew Matthew Annis, the son of one of his four sisters, died of a flesh-eating disease.

Hart was asked in a 1998 interview how he wanted to be remembered, the grappler replied, "I'd like fans to remember me as a guy who would go out and entertain them, give them quality matches, and not just the same old garbage every week."

No words can describe how much this superstar will be forever missed. Thank you for the entertainment you provided, the memories, the matches, and for being a positive role model. You truly are the king of hearts. Rest in peace.

Condolences can be sent to the following:

The Hart Family
435 Patina Place SW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3H 2P5

E-mail:
owenhart@stampedewrestling.com

The Hart Family has requested that in lieu of flowers or offerings, donations be made directly to:

The Alberta Children's Hospital
1820 Richmond Road S.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
T2T 5C7

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