What happened to John Kraman? Tributes pour in as Motorcycle expert and Mecum announcer passes away

John Kraman, a motorcycle expert and Mecum auctions announcer, recently passed away at the age of 68. Since Mecum Auction's TV debut, Kraman was a consignment director and later became the voice of the Mecum. Friends, fans, and Mecum Auction viewers are now paying tributes and sending their heartfelt condolences to John's family.

According to his obituary, Kraman, who was from Rockford, passed away on January 12, 2025. He was at home during his passing. While the letter did not confirm the cause of his death, it revealed that he died after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife - Christine Kraman, and his three children: Michael, Nicole, and Valerie (Eric).

On grassrootsmotorsports.com, several auction viewers shared their stories about Kraman. One of them mentioned that he briefly battled Leukemia before passing away.

"If any of you were viewers of the Mecum auctions on TV, you were familiar with John Kraman, aka 'The Professor,'" the comment read.

"He was a walking encyclopedia of classic cars. He was actually an employee of Mecum, helping grow the company tremendously. I received word that he passed away last night after a short battle with Leukemia. Think of a random and little know car fact in his honor."

Chris Jacobs also shared a picture with Kraman in which the two television hosts could be seen smiling. In the caption, he called Kraman his "friend and brother" and also mentioned that he died "after a brief battle with leukemia."

"It was my honor to work alongside him for the past few years and the industry has truly lost a legend," Jacobs added.

Mecum Auctions pen a heartfelt tribute for John Kraman

Via X (formerly Twitter), Mecum Auctions penned how John Kraman has been a part of the show since its inception.

"John played a pivotal role in the success of Mecum Auctions, serving as a consignment director & becoming the unmistakable voice of Mecum since our TV debut in 2008."

They further mentioned that Kraman made his life's mission of "positioning our brand in the best possible light."

"John set the standard for excellence, demanding accuracy, precision and the highest quality in everything we did. He wasn’t just part of Mecum Auctions; he was Mecum Auctions, living and breathing its essence every day," they added.

Concluding their tweet, they thanked Kraman, who was "a mentor, a legend, a Mecum cornerstone, our family." Many also commented that they would miss Kraman's commentary on TV after his passing.