Alan Thicke's Best Friend Tells All About Actor's Final Days & 'Heart-Wrenching' Death
Dec. 14 2016, Updated 1:36 p.m. ET
Hours after Alan Thicke tragically passed, close friend and president of the All Hands Working Charity, Joe Gordon III, revealed exclusive details of the days leading up to the actor's sudden death to RadarOnline.com.
Thicke was a member on the board at Gordon's charity and often played with Joe's hockey team The Keystone Coyotes, a traveling team comprised of first responders.
"He started helping us plan events and raise money for firefighters," Gordon told RadarOnline.com. "The ironic thing is that the goal of the charity is to prevent first responders from passing from heart attacks. Your heart goes from zero to 60 to get your job done. That's what he stood for, that's what he was supporting, and he ended up passing of a heart attack."
But Thicke was as healthy as can be in recent weeks, according to his close pal.
"I think he was unaware of any heart issues he may have had," Gordon revealed. "I spoke to him last week and we were planning the next hockey game. He didn't mention any illness, he hasn't been to the hospital, he wasn't being treated for anything. He was in perfect health. I can't image what it must have been like for Carter to witness his father having a heart attack. He's only 19."
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the Growing Pains star died suddenly after suffering a heart attack while playing hockey in Los Angeles with his youngest son, Carter.
According to the manager at the hockey rink, Thicke was still conscious and talking as he was taken into the ambulance, even asking Carter to snap his photo. At the hospital, where son Robin rushed by his side, he passed away.
"I work closely with his agent and got a message earlier today saying he'd passed. It is heart-wrenching. I only spoke to him last week," Gordon said of the terrible news.
"We were talking about doing a charity game on the west coast. I was so saddened to hear of his death. He always took the time to mentor me and teach me about running charity events and how to put a hockey game together. It is a terrible loss and he'll be very missed."
"I'm already planning a tribute match to him," he continued. "Because he's a celebrity, we'll book a large arena and have a big tribute game for him. Jason Priestly knows him very well and there are a lot of celebrities who would attend a tribute game for him."
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