Funeral information

Anyone who knew Andy would not be surprised by this; he did not want a funeral. The thought of the expense, the fuss and the amount of money people might spend on flowers, travel and even new outfits (although he did love a new outfit!) was a definite no-no for him. So instead he asked that we remember him with a smile and much fondness, which has brought you here today to this special tribute to the man I loved so very much.

An inspirational person

A week before he passed away Andy was touched by an inspirational quote on TV; one of the characters said to the other "I'm sorry that your wife passed away" to which the other man replied "Oh no, don't be sorry for me - be thankful that I've been able to share so much of my life with her". And that's exactly how I feel about Andy.

A no-fuss remembrance of our beloved husband, dad, grandad and friend. 

Andy was proud to have spent over 30 years in the Housewares industry, making many friends along the way. Despite his illness he remained unbelievably determined and positive. I will be eternally proud of his mental strength in continuing to be himeself. He even continued to run our business right up until 12th March this year - his 58th birthday. 

He was an amazing person who didn't like attention (which is one of the reasons why he didn't use social media). And in fact he'd cringe at the thought of this Tribute; he would have cowered at all the fuss, the photos and the nice words even though - oh my goodness - he more than deserved all the love! But above all he'd be shocked (and secretly moved) by the number of lovely people who have sent myself and the boys so many messages of comfort and support. 

Andy was a devoted husband and soulmate to me (or Polly, as he affectionately called me) and a loving father to his two sons, Nick and Tom (otherwise known as son number 1 and son number 2 or Nicholas and Thomas if they were in trouble!). In 2017 Andy became a grandad for the first time, less than 2 months after he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. Little Frankie turns 3 this year and he became a big brother to Alfie in July. Sadly Andy didn't get to meet Alfie in person but being able to see the boys on FaceTime was enough to lighten up even his darkest days. Please click through the photos (click on content on the left) to see some heart-warming screenshots of some early 'conversations' with Alfie and Frankie plus many more precious memories we all made together.

Andrew, Andy, dad, grandad or friend. However you knew him he will forever be loved more than words can describe and will always be remembered for his kindness, genuine nature and unconditional love for his family. 

Andy-isms

If you're from any other part of the country other than Yorkshire, you may not have heard some of the fantastic Yorkshire phrases that Andy frequently said. One of my favourites was "He won't be here while seven" which apparently means "he won't be back until seven"...who knew?! 

And this one's for Andy's friends. You may remember him most of all for his true Yorkshire 'straight-talking' spirit and his love of a (very hot) latte which more often than not would be returned swiftly to the coffee shop counter with a firm but fair instruction on the requirement to heat it up - because it's 'cold'. One of his favourite passtimes whilst out on the road during his career and even when he was ill was to enjoy a coffee in a paper cup whilst watching the world go by. 

I have so many amusing stories (many of which may not be sharable on this site) which still make me smile even though they weren't intentionally funny. Like a recent telephone complaint Andy made to an overseas call centre. Andy's unapologetic style of complaining was too good an opportunity for me to miss and I recently shared with Tom (son number 2) the voice recording I took of the phone conversation...I might share it with you privately if you help me raise enough money for the MNDA ;-)

A few of Andy's favourite things

Above all, Andy loved life. He loved the people in it, he adored his fur-babies, he loved his nice cars, his home and (debatably an unusual one for a chap) he loved shopping for clothes. A favourite pastime for him was to take a seat outside the ladies' changing rooms (or as I called it, the gentlemen's waiting area) and wait patiently for me to appear in some outfit that I didn't need - this took the patience of a saint, believe me - but it was something he absolutely loved to do! A friend of mine once asked me if I could rent him out as a personal shopper - a job Andy would have been amazing at.  

Making memories

By adding your fondest memories of Andy to this tribute page you can help to light up the space that his loss has left behind. Simply click on 'content' on the left.

The light in our lives has dimmed but the universe is now a brighter place because of you. 
It's your time to rest in peace now, angel.  

Love, health and happiness to you all

Paula, Nick, Tom & family xx