In Memorium - I'll miss you, Andy.

[cookiemom6067]

In 1980, John introduced me to his brother-in-law, Andrew Fogarty. He was exotic for Kansas City, with a pronounced New York accent and a dry sense of humor. He was one of the kindest, gentlest, funniest and smartest men I have ever met. He reminded me in many ways of my own father - a thinker and a feeler, not a talker.

Andy was a cherished member of our extended family. He assisted my father in marrying John and I in April of 1983, and I will never forget his sense of gravitas as he told us that marriage was not to be entered into lightly. He made the traditional words not just rote ritual, but a consideration that I should give thought to.

I have seldom seen a couple as close and devoted as Andy and Myra, John's beloved sister. They shared a gentle humor and quiet strength that saw them through the worst of times. In spite of their considerable challenges, Myra and Andy never lost the capacity to care about the concerns of the rest of us. Together, they raised the equally delightful Andrea, whose smile can light up a room. Few people could meet the challenges that not only came unexpectedly to Myra and Andy but were willingly taken on in a sense of family and service. Myra and Andy met those challenges together, with smiles on their faces.

As a young man in his forties, Andy was afflicted with Parkinson's disease, which slowly robbed him of his ability to move easily and control his body, and robbed all of us of the delight we had in his conversation and sense of humor. Now, it has robbed us of Andy's unique presence in our lives.



Andy - I will miss you terribly.

Comments

[darkemeralds]

My sympathies.

[cookiemom6067]

Thanks, friend.