Charles Frank Andrews Iii

Charlie died peacefully in his sleep at his home on May 13, 2021. He waged a valiant fight for his life after a major heart attack and emergency bypass surgery on August 24, 2020. He celebrated his 82nd birthday in the critical care unit at Asante Hospital.

Charlie was born in Plattsburgh, NY on September 9, 1938, the oldest of Charles and Gladys Andrews’ three children. He was the last surviving member of his birth family. He had vivid memories of events that occurred when he was still in his crib. He remembered President Roosevelt’s radio announcement on December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Charlie had many fond post-war memories of growing up in Plattsburgh. He graduated from Peru Central School as a 3-sport varsity athlete. He earned B.S. and M.Ed. degrees from SUNY, Plattsburgh where he played varsity baseball and soccer. Charlie began his long teaching career in 1960. His first principalship was at Orchard Elementary School in south Burlington, VT, which was an award-winning school under his leadership. During his first marriage to Carol Newton, Charlie had 3 children - Kelly, Charles “Guy”, and Heather Andrews, who survive him.

Charlie met his wife Marta at the Burlington Duplicate Bridge Club. They married on the first day of spring, March 21, 1975 in Perry, FL. They became partners in a rewarding life filled with discovery, passion, achievement, hard work, and adventure. Charlie and Marta had 3 sons - David (1976), who was the first boy born at the Maximo Gomez Clinic in Santo Domingo, Darin (1979), who was born the first day Charlie was to begin a new principalship, and Daniel (1980), who was born in Houston, TX, the first day the family returned to the States after escaping violence in San Salvador. Charlie raised his 3 sons along with his stepchildren, Dawn (1968) and Derek Dimond (1972), in Houston, TX, until 1994, when the family moved to Addis Ababa. Charlie was proud of his sons’ military service. David and Darin are career Naval Officers. Daniel is a disabled Veteran. Charlie had a large stack of shirts, which he wore on most days, commemorating his sons’ military service.

Charlie had numerous grandchildren who survive. He loved and enjoyed them all. He shared a special bond with Daniel’s children, Caleb and Charles Benjamin Andrews V, whom he has helped to rear for the past 10 years.

Charlie served as principal of several schools in the U.S., and abroad, including Peru, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Ethiopia. While living overseas, Charlie and Marta traveled widely in nearby countries. After they retired in 1998, they traveled in their RV throughout most of the contiguous 48 states. They spent a month on the Naval base in Yokosuka, Japan with David, his wife Sonya, and their children in 2001, just prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers. After retiring, they bought a home in Ajo, AZ, where they shared wonderful memories during the winters for nearly 20 years.

For the last 25 years, Charlie resided in Grants Pass, OR. He loved sitting on his deck overlooking the wild and scenic Rogue River and watching the abundant bird life that shared his backyard.

Charlie loved to explore, read, learn, sing and strum his ukulele. He was an excellent golfer and bowler. He loved watching sports, especially baseball and soccer. He enjoyed playing bridge, scrabble, and chess. He was a published author and poet, an adventurer, a romantic lover, an involved parent, and a loyal friend. Charlie gave the gift of laughter to his loved ones. He never met a stranger he did not greet with warmth and interested curiosity.