RIP The Mentzer Bros.

[Curt James]

Today marks the 15th anniversary of Mike Mentzer's death. Mentzer (November 15, 1951 – June 10, 2001) was an Ephrata HS graduate and a world class bodybuilder. He was just 49 years old and died of a massive heart attack.

Ray Mentzer (August 2, 1953 – June 12, 2001) died just a short time after his brother. May they rest in peace.

Ray was a member of Ephrata Wrestling's 30 pin club. Mike's picture was displayed in the school's lobby for a time opposite Evelyn Ay's picture. Ay was Miss America in 1954 and Mike was Mr. America (for the IFBB) in 1976. Ray was Mr. America, too, claiming that title for the AAU in 1979.

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[cook]

Mike did a seminar down here in???? 1978 I think.He had won the Universe with a perfect score and it was before he got pissed off at the Olympia.Anyway he answered all questions and seemed like a cool guy.Died much too young.

[Curt James]

Mike did a seminar down here in???? 1978 I think.He had won the Universe with a perfect score and it was before he got pissed off at the Olympia.Anyway he answered all questions and seemed like a cool guy.Died much too young.

He earned his pro card in 1978 and was done in 1980. Crazy. And, yes, died much too young.

1970

Mr Pennsylvania - AAU, Winner

1971

Mr America - AAU, 10th
Teen Mr America - AAU, Most Muscular, 2nd
Teen Mr America - AAU, 2nd

1975

Mr America - IFBB, Medium, 3rd
Mr East Coast - IFBB, Medium, 2nd
Mr USA - IFBB, Medium, 2nd

1976

Mr America - IFBB, Medium, 1st
Mr America - IFBB, Overall Winner
Universe - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 2nd

1977

North American Championships - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 1st
North American Championships - IFBB, Overall Winner
Universe - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd

1978

USA World Qualifier - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
USA vs the World - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
World Amateur Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st

1979

Canada Pro Cup - IFBB, 2nd
Florida Pro Invitational - IFBB, Winner
Night of Champions - IFBB, 3rd
Olympia - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
Pittsburgh Pro Invitational - IFBB, 2nd

1980

Olympia - IFBB, 5th

[Ironbrian82]

Did amphetamine play a role in there deaths or am i thinking of something else Curt

[Curt James]

Did amphetamine play a role in there deaths or am i thinking of something else Curt

Number one, it's incredibly sad that the Mentzer's died so young. But given that they had both been bodybuilders many will assume their deaths might be related to drug use of some kind whether party drugs or anabolics. All I know for certain is that Mike's mother also suffered from health issues. My aunt was an LPN at the Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, PA when she was admitted.

Fwiw, I'm pretty sure Mike's amphetamine use has been documented or at least commented on in articles and videos over the years.

Wikipedia offers, "Mentzer died on June 10, 2001 in Rolling Hills, California. He was found dead in his apartment, due to heart complications, by his younger brother and fellow bodybuilder Ray Mentzer. Two days later, his brother Ray also died in his sleep after complications from his long battle with Berger's disease."

Regarding amphetamines, I found this quote dated 2010, but it was unattributed. The links leading to the original source lead to a totally unrelated article.


The biggest surprise to me was how prevalent amphetamines were around the gyms in Southern California in the early ’80s. Guys were getting amped up like crazy before their workouts. A few of the guys were into crystal meth.

But in my experience the more prevalent overuse and abuse was found in the amateurs. They were the ones who had convinced themselves that high dosages of steroids and amphetamines were needed to get results. (snip) and I used to joke about one guy we trained with named Steve. The guy would be so amped, he couldn’t talk normally. He talked so fast it’d be like a machine gun going off. So we started doing this machine gun imitation “Dij, dij, dij, dij, dij.” Hilarious.

I’ve seen amphetamine usage lead to bizarre, self-destructive behavior more often than steroids, but I’d guess the combination to be more deadly than either class of drugs by itself. I know Mike Mentzer admitted to having trouble as a result of amphetamine use. If someone as intelligent as Mike can fall victim to addiction, think about how powerful those drugs must be.

[Curt James]

https://www.mikementzer.com/remembrances.html

[Curt James]

Found this interview from 2001:

"Just weeks prior to Mike Mentzer's death on June 10, 2001, and his brother Ray's death two days later, Mike submitted to a Q&A session (snip)"

After the first interview we did, you disappeared. What happened?

Mike Mentzer: I had a number of medical problems, including one that involved surgery on my cervical spine. I had pneumonia, bronchitis and recently discovered blood clots in my lungs. It's fairly severe, but I'm on potent blood thinners, which should take care of the problem.

For those who might be interested in why Mike Mentzer has blood clots in his lungs, it was discovered a while back when my brother, Ray, was having surgery for clots in his arms, at the places where they hook up the dialysis machine. Many people already know that my brother has a life-threatening kidney disease requiring 4 1/2-hour dialysis sessions three days a week, which is very harrowing and debilitating. During one of the procedures it was discovered that he has a genetic disorder known as antithrombin deficiency, which means his blood clots too readily. The doctor told him, if you have brothers or sisters, tell them about this because they'll have it too.

What was going through your mind while you were in the hospital?

MM: It's interesting. On one level it bothered me. Of course, no one wants to have such a disorder, but it never got me down. I don't walk around biting my nails and wringing my hands all day. I take it in stride, trust the doctors and have quite an optimistic outlook.

How has Ray's situation affected you?

MM: It's not easy to watch a family member go through a harrowing experience. Dialysis is a very severe treatment that cleans the blood by taking it out through a vein in the arm [usually] and into a machine that swishes it around and cleans it. Ray has a rare disorder called Berger's disease, which the doctors tell me is not related to past steroid use. It's a rare disorder found mostly in white men over 35.

But he's holding up fairly well. Has down periods'there's no doubt about that'but everybody around him has been quite impressed by the way he's handling it. Most people on dialysis are put on Zoloft or Prozac or some other drug, because of the tremendous personal toll that dialysis takes, but my brother hasn't had to have such medication. He's working this thing out cognitively. He understands it's life threatening, but as long as he's on dialysis he has a fair chance of making it. He is at what's called end-stage renal failure. His kidneys aren't just bad, they're dead. Without dialysis there's no way he could survive.

In fact, he did become a little depressed recently. I had a blood test that showed I have a tissue match with Ray, and I was prepared to give him one of my kidneys. We were just getting ready to set a date for surgery when they found that I had these blood clots in my lungs, which Ray recognized immediately as a bad omen. The medical specialists are very strict about who they allow to donate a kidney. You have to be in perfect health. The slightest physical disorder, and they immediately take you off the donor list. So he went into a period of some depression but worked his way out of it, and he's getting better all the time.

Has your relationship with Ray always been this close?

MM: [Laughs] Ray and I have had a rocky relationship most of our lives, although not horrible. The typical brother thing. But here, recently, with us both being sick, we've become closer. We spend a lot of time together. In a sense that's a positive because brothers should be close, not bickering. We're finally relating together as two brothers should.

I understand that Ray received a surprising get-well note.

MM: Actually, he received a phone call, believe it or not, from Arnold Schwarzenegger, which I found very touching, and I thank Arnold for that. Arnold called Ray and asked him how he was doing, told Ray he could call Arnold anytime he needed something or for any reason. It was a very benevolent gesture on Arnold's part, and in my eyes it raised his stature as a human being. I was shocked when the call came! I told Joe Weider many years ago, I hope Arnold really learns to mature and actualizes his full potential, because he's quite an outstanding individual.

Are your parents both gone?

MM: My parents are deceased.

Did you have a close relationship with them?

MM: Yes, I was close to my mother and father. My mother's death came first, and I found it to be an incredibly difficult time. I remember getting the call from the doctor at 5 a.m. and going out into my car and driving around, crying the biggest tears you've ever seen for hours and hours and hours. And, of course, the effect lingered for some time, but over a period of time one learns to take it in stride, understanding that death is an inevitable part of life. It's gonna happen to everybody.

My father's death was difficult as well but not quite as bad as my mother's because her death sort of prepared me for any future deaths in the family. They died many years ago, and I put those issues in their proper place.

From http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/mike-mentzers-last-interview/

[hifrommike65]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8ZR2EUkOCk

No, they were not twins. Mike was born in 1951, & Ray was born in 1953. I still miss them.

[Cips1975]

Was there a health connection to their timely deaths due to being twins and same genetics? I find it very interesting that they died within days of each other , or was it something like the Carrie Fisher and mom thing where one died and the other person most close passes on.

[Big Beat]

There was always a suspicion that Mike committed suicide and Ray went the same route a couple of days later, these were only rumours.

Mike had a recreational drug problem and went into rehab for it a number of times according to accounts I have read.

[hifrommike65]

What I heard was that Mike had complications of cardiovascular disease, & died of cardiac arrest. Ray was on dialysis, & did not keep his appointment for his next treatment, dying two days later. They lived together & were found shortly after that. Tragic.

[stanlystud]

What I heard was that Mike had complications of cardiovascular disease, & died of cardiac arrest. Ray was on dialysis, & did not keep his appointment for his next treatment, dying two days later. They lived together & were found shortly after that. Tragic.
They must have been very Close..