Thanks ~

Born September 25, 1919 in rural White County, Indiana; Died November 30, 2009 in Converse, Texas

George Lucius Andrews (Major, USAF & USAAF - retired) passed away on November 30, 2009 at the age of 90. He was preceded in death by Wava Jeanne, his wife of 56 years, in April 2000.

Fondly known as "Pop", he will forever be remembered for his wit, good humor, love of life, and perseverance in the face of disabilities during his later years. Born and raised in rural Indiana immediately following WWI, "Pop" was one of six children of George Washington Andrews and Goldie Alice (Harshman). He came from a long line of Andrews who were named George Washington and George Lucius, alternating the middle name generation to generation. His forebears fought in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. All but his Brother Arthur and his Sister Ruth have preceded him in death.

"Pop" had many stories and tall tales of growing up in rural Indiana, without modern-day conveniences and money. He was an extremely sharp and resourceful young man and made the most of the limited educational opportunities available to him at that time. His natural affinity for Math and Science would serve him well during his Military career, and later when he successfully competed against much younger, better educated, more affluent applicants taking difficult Stockbroker Training and Exams in Philadelphia during the '60s. Enlisting after the Japanese Raid on Pearl Harbor in the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), he became one of the original "Sergeant Pilots" authorized by Congress in the early years of World War II. When he first enlisted, he was told that only those with a college degree were allowed to apply for and train to get a Pilot's License. After recognizing that the United States would need a great number of military pilots for wartime service, he was allowed to reapply and successfully completed his pilot's training in 1942 (Class 42-G). He trained in several places including San Antonio, TX. He was part of the original training group involved with the parachute training of the 81st and 101st Airborne Divisions slated to be dropped behind the lines during the D-Day Invasion in France in 1944. Before being deployed in Europe, he was transferred to and stationed in Northern India. Here he flew C-47 "Goony Bird" aircraft on re-supply missions into Burma. He also flew the "The Hump" over the Himalayas from India to China. Following the War, he remained in the service to his country in what was now the US Air Force (USAF) because of his love of flying. While he never flew any jet aircraft, "Pop" was proficient in and qualified as a Pilot in many different multi-engine aircraft, such as the the B-17, B-24, B-25, B-29, C-45, C-46, C-47 (the majority of his hours were in the C-47) as well as a number of others. He was a Flight Instructor in the B-25 "Mitchell" for a time. He maintained his Pilot's capabilities and Flying Status throughout his service career. During his career, he was stationed in a number of locations, including Newfoundland, Alaska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, Montana, Massachusetts and Missouri. If possible, he always brought his family along with him. It was in Massachusetts that he became involved with the beginnings of the Computer Age in the Military. Following training in the governments' computers, he was stationed at Richards- Gebaur Air Force Base in Grandview, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. It was here that he finally retired his 20 year military career in March, 1961.

After leaving the service he worked as a civilian Field Representative for RCA Company at the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System site in Thule, Greenland. In 1964 he became a Distributor for Gulf Oil Corporation in Aransas Pass, TX. In 1967 he rejoined RCA and returned to Thule, Greenland for another tour "Under the Ice". It was in Thule that he became interested in and involved with Wall Street and the Stock Market. Following his return from Greenland, he was hired by the Wall Street giant Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Penner and Smith as a stockbroker. For a time he was the radio voice of the daily market report in Corpus Christi, TX. "Pop" eventually retired from the Corpus Christi offices of Prudential-Bache Securities in the mid 1980s.

In addition to his work as a stockbroker, Pop also served as an alternate Texas delegate to the National Republic Convention in 1978 and was an avid supporter of Ronald Reagan. In a magazine article covering the national convention published in Texas Monthly, Pop was referred to as the "Cool Cat from San Pat" (San Patricio County). He also enjoyed salt water fishing and spent many weekends with his good friend Spec New deep sea fishing off the Texas coast. His memories of his experiences in India, Burma, Alaska, and Greenland remained sharp, and he often entertained listeners with stories of many memorable "Goony Bird" flights, training days in the early stages of WWII, or his frozen days in the sub-Arctic. "Pop" never met someone he couldn't talk to and make them feel at home. His stories were always entertaining, colorful, and interesting. He could talk at length on many different subjects. He was continually puttering in his garage and shop, fixing things in and around the house, messing with his computers, and gardening. He never hesitated to try to fix anything broken or in disrepair. He also had a soft spot for animals, especially his many dogs over the years. Following a stroke in the '90s, Pop was seen daily around his neighborhood, walking and following his Doctors orders to watch his diet and exercise. His neighbors always greeted him with a wave and a smile. To view Pop telling some of his many stories and watch him celebrating his 90th birthday, visit www.youtube.com/dcobalis.

In the late 90s, Pop suffered a more serious stroke during heart bypass surgery and was hospitalized in the ICU in Austin for several weeks. With the exception of his right foot, Pop's entire body was paralyzed. He could not speak or see. Family members visited regularly and played George Strait songs on a small boom box. Pop let the family know he was still there by rocking his right foot in time to the music. After several more weeks in rehab and many hours of hard, strenuous work, Pop regained the ability to walk--much to the delight and amazement of his family and an army of healthcare providers and specialists.

He is survived by his son, Rick, and his wife Margaret, their two sons Todd and Paul, and Paul's wife Sonya; his daughter Deborah Cobalis, her husband Vince and their son Jacy; and his daughter Paula Andrews, her husband Finis Nabors, and their son Evan. A memorial service will be held at Sunset Memorial Park, 1701 Austin Highway in San Antonio, at 2:00 pm on Sunday, December 6th. Interested persons may visit the memorial web site at www.mem.com, and search for George Andrews.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Fort Hood memorial fund which can be found online at www.forthoodausa.org

Beautiful tribute! I'm sorry about your loss. I also lost my dad several years ago and think about him every day.

"Those we hold closest to our hearts never truly leave us. They live on in the kindness they have shared and the love they
brought into our lives." - Author Unknown