Andrew Gordon Asbury

ABILENE Andrew Gordon Asbury, 21, of Abilene, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011, as a result of injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident. His funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011, at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Gardens. Arrangements are by The Hamil Family Funeral Home. There will be no formal visitations, but viewing will be possible beginning at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 14, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home. Andrew was born to Gordon Asbury III and Aloma Asbury in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 17, 1989. He attended Wylie Independent School District from kindergarten through 12th grade and graduated from Wylie High School in 2008. He played football and was a member of the varsity golf team his junior and senior years. At the time of his death, he was a junior at Texas Tech University majoring in energy commerce and planned to attend law school at Baylor University, as did his father, Gordon Asbury III and grandfather Gordon Asbury Jr. Andrew became a member of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church after accepting our Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior at age 8. During middle school and high school, Andrew was a member of a Yo-Bro group led by his mother, Aloma Asbury. Yo-Bro is a small group of young men who met weekly to encourage each other in their Christian growth and it was an integral part of Andrew's life. Andrew was known to study his Bible nightly and his relationship with his Savior grew and continued to grow until the time of his death. Andrew's priorities in life were his relationship with his Lord Jesus Christ, his relationship with his family and his relationship with his friends, who were numerous. He was an accomplished auto-mechanic who rebuilt and restored a 1970 Mustang over a three-year period while in high school. This car was a prized possession and he became so proficient at auto-mechanics that he was routinely asked by friends and acquaintances to perform repairs and improvements to their vehicles. While he was very private about his academic achievements, after entering Texas Tech University, his academic abilities blossomed. After completing half of his junior year he maintained a 4.0 GPA while pursuing a degree that is known to be challenging. He was the recipient of the Texas Tech University Anderson Consulting BA Scholarship awarded for academic achievement and was appointed to the President's Honor List every semester he attended Texas Tech University. He was also a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta Academic Honor Society for Freshman Students, The National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honors, all of which are honor fraternities and/or societies in which membership is by invitation only. Andrew was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Wesley Mokry and Gordon Asbury Jr. He is survived by his parents; his brothers, Bryan and Caleb Asbury; his grandmothers, Earlene Mokry and Janice Asbury; one great-grandmother, Elizabeth Jennings; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Pallbearers include only some of Andrew's closest friends: Weston Victor and Greg Roberts of Houston, Drew Thorpe of Dallas, Andrew Federico of San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Clay Burson, Tanner Evans, Taylor Massey, Cameron Rogers, Abe Templeton, Addison Templeton and Case Wilson, all of Abilene. A special thank you to all of the Asbury friends and family who have spent countless hours supporting them through prayer and their presence during this very difficult time. Also, special thanks and appreciation is extended to Doctors Taliafero and Trammel and the nurses and staff of Hendrick Medical Center who provided care and comfort to Andrew during his final hours on earth. Memorials may be made to General George Patton Museum, Patton Museum Foundation, P.O. Box 25, Fort Knox, Ky. 40121-0208; or a Texas Tech University fund in Andrew's honor set up at First Financial Bank. Many who knew him expressed their heartfelt memories: Andrew's first grade teacher, Debbie Lambert, remembers him well. "Andrew was very smart, even in first grade. He was a leader-handsome and very respectful. Andrew was one of those kids that a teacher never forgets. On break from Tech, he came to eat lunch more than once with his little brother, Caleb, who often talked to me about his big brothers. On one visit, Andrew hugged me and asked, ?Do you remember me?' Andrew was the same tall, respectful boy I had taught in first grade."

"I remember Andrew as always having a big smile on his face. He enjoyed life," Jeff Rogers, a family friend stated.

Cameron Rogers expressed, "If there is one thing that I can say about Andrew, it is that he could make me laugh and smile and feel better. We met in the first grade, and in junior high we had a weekly prayer group called YoBros."

"He was my best friend through high school and college. We were inseparable. He always stood up for his friends. I have a lot of good memories, and his family will be some of my best friends for the rest of my life," said Tanner Evans.

Taylor Massey recalls, "More than anyone else I know, Andrew was real. He never had to fake being generous or honest because that was just who he was and how he acted all the time."

"Andrew was a loving friend and was dear to everyone's heart. My greatest memory is the smile he brought to everyone when he was around," remembers Abe Templeton. "He was the friend who would drop anything to help another person. He lived life to the fullest. He will be dearly missed. I loved Andrew, and I love his family."

"Andrew was someone who would drop everything to come help you. He made you feel included, no matter what. He was one of those rare guys that if you did not see him for a while, you could walk straight up to him and have a great conversation. If I had to describe Andrew with one word, I would say, ?genuine'," said Addison Templeton.