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Andy Andrews, 92, of Montreat, N.C. died on April 22, 2016 in his home at Highland Farms. He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on July 27th, 1923, the 4th of six children of Ernest (Andy) and Margaret Andrews. He was preceded in death by his wife Hellon, and his brothers, Karl, Don, and Bill.
In 1930, his family moved to Signal Mountain, Tennessee where he lived until graduation from Central High School and induction into the US Army in 1943.
Along with 250 boys graduating from high school, he was assigned the position of squad leader of a 30 caliber heavy machine gun. It was an assignment he kept throughout World War II from Omaha Beach in Normandy through France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany and into Czechoslovakia at the war’s end.
He was involved in the war from June 6, 1944 to May 9, 1945, experiencing combat in 26 ground battles throughout Europe including the Battle of the Bulge. For his service in the war, he received four Bronze Stars and four Purple Hearts.
After service in the war, he attended the University of Chattanooga, King College in Bristol, Tennessee and graduation from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia in 1949.
Following graduation, he had a 35-year career as a layman serving in the Presbyterian Church, US and ultimately, the PCUSA. He was a member of Christ Community Church in Montreat, where he served as a deacon and an elder, and in his later years, as the official greeter for the Montreat Morning School, which was one of his favorite jobs.
During the last thirty years, he has spoken to countless groups including home schools, middle schools, high schools, and college and university classes and civic clubs. When he died, he was writing a book of his war memoirs he had titled, “Seven Minutes to Live,” the title taken from the fact that the life expectancy of a machine gunner in an actual firefight is about seven minutes.
Andy had a varied vocational history, giving himself fully to the people and careers he invested his life in. These included jobs as a youth director (Central Presbyterian in Bristol, Va.), program director for Presbyterian Men, Executive Director for Presbyterian Men, a staff member of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland, the Conference Director of the Montreat Conference Center, a member of the fundraising team for Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, and the executive Director of the Black Mountain- Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, where he “retired” in 1993.
Over the years, he was the President of the Asheville Area Tourism Association, the Western Carolina Chamber Executives and the Black Mountain Rotary Club. He was the Chairman of the WNC Foster Grandparent Program and the Land of the Sky Regional Council.
He was elected as the Mayor of Montreat twice, and served on the town council for twenty years. He served on the Montreat College Board of Trustees for more that fifteen years.
More than any of his accomplishments, jobs, and battle victories, his greatest treasure and love was his family. He was married to Hellon for almost sixty years. He was a dedicated and loving father to his daughter Sarah (married to Bill Murray) and his son Al (married to Nita). He was a most extraordinary grandfather to Scott Murray and David Murray (married to Jade) and to Brent and Hunter Andrews.
Andy was a man of faith, dedicating his life to follow Christ and to live and love in a way that was honoring to the Lord he loved. He was a man of action and a man of prayer and faith. If you are reading this, there is a good chance he prayed for you by name.
In addition to his children and grandchildren, he is survived by his older brother Bennett and his younger sister Peggy, and a score of nephews, nieces and their children.
Andy will be buried at the Western Carolina State Veteran’s Cemetery in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
A public memorial service will be at 3 PM on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at Anderson Auditorium in Montreat, North Carolina.
Donations can be made to Memory Care of Asheville or a charity of your choice in the honor of Andy Andrews.

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