Hello there. I just thought I would leave a couple of things I found when I googled Andy.... One was a final injunction when he was protesting the radioactivity in North County. Another was when he was quoted at D.A.P.L.
thought it was a cool thing to attach to his obituary for his daughter and future grandkids to see. I can't find much about the personalities of my past ancestors. It would be cool to know how they were in life, not just their stats. You know.... He definitely loved standing up or the little guy and the underdog. I know he sometimes felt unseen, but I know he knew how much we all loved him. He told everyone he loved them.

Some of the things you may not know; memories of from me (Gretchen)
At 3 Andy looked up at the sky and said look Mommy they fixed the moon
He tried to feed a giraffe at the St. Louis Zoo and the giraffe tried to take Andy with the branch - about 5 years old
He would run around the zoo in his tiger mask sometimes growling at people
Loved me reading my astronomy book to him when I was in college (I was 15 when I had him)
Bit the head off a dandelion that Kyla Minardi tried to give him in first or second grade
Won first place in the science fair in first grade -went to Queeny park
Was invited to Mensa in 3rd grade
Was in advanced classes
Was the "golden" child - had trophies for baseball, pinewood derby, science fair, chess club, tae kwon do
Was pushed too hard by his parents and not listened to. The golden child, also picked up the bugs and put them outside so they wouldn't die.
Talked to the squirrels, birds, dogs, any animal
Preferred to be outside
His first talent show - I think first grade - he made masks out of paper plates and made sounds he thought the dinosaurs would make
He wanted to be a paleontologist
Happy go lucky kid
His dad & I divorced his highschool freshman year - when we told him; he said It's about time.
Challenging as a teenager - addiction started right around the time he got his drivers license. I would track him down and get him home. Started drinking and partying e16/17. Ran away from home to go camping at 17. He asked if he could skip school for a week to do it, I said no. He went anyway. I walked into the woods and found his campsite. That's probably the first time he considered living like that, a hermit in the woods. It wasn't long after that we had to evacuate for a hurricane - held up at gunpoint. He said, I didn't think this is how I was going to die.
We got back to the house in Florida and rode the hurricane out - that was charlie in 2005 (?) Daytona Beach.
When he turned 18, he dropped out of highschool - 2 months into senior year. He told me he wasn't going to college, he didn't want to do anything with a degree. I couldn't do anything to stop him. I should have listened better.
He continued partying as a teenager and a young twenty punk back in the St. Louis area - we only spoke a few times a year during this period of his life... sometimes I would get a surprise visit for a week or two, but then he was gone again. I was always happy when I got to see him. Curtis and I got a visit in Asheville with him and some of his friends. Took him and another kid to High Falls, they were enamored with her. She is a beautiful waterfall. Then off they went. He spent a lot of his last years in Mt. Shasta, Ca and Quartzite, Az - stopping through Missouri - once he did stay for about 9 months. I was hoping he had put down roots. I love my baby boy and miss him every day. Parents will always remember the little doodle at the t ball game, the kiddo who can't quite form their words. Kids pull away and become their own adults and parents just will never fully see that because they will always be our babies.
He chose to live life on his terms. On the go, with a back pack and his faithful dog, Spectre. He spread love and joy and protested when the time came. He spoke up, had a great sense of humor, was loved by so many. Smiled even when people were being mean. He had a tattooed face and some mean lady asked him what I thought, he told her I was proud of him because I'm his mom. He was right, I have always found a reason to be proud of my soft hearted, sweet baby boy. Even when I was so frustrated I wanted to reach through the phone and throat punch him. I love him, he is always going to be a part of me.

So now Andy/Gosts daughter and her children and any other relatives know a little bit of how he chose to live.
https://themissouritimes.com/…

https://www.njherald.com/stor…