Andrew Willard Grutel

2003 - 2024

Andrew Willard Grutel

June 6, 2003 - July 14, 2024

It has been a year since Andrew journeyed to the room his heavenly father prepared for him. In many ways time stopped on the day you left us & has crept slowly since dragging with it the sorrow, mourning & regrets that come with losing a precious soul. Yet, in other ways time flies, thinking of all the events that have taken place in this one short year & wondering if you have missed them. Our faith tells us you are a part of everyone, your soul intertwining in all events.

Those we love don't go away; they walk beside us every day. Holding your sister's hand as she graduated from high school, looking down at how fast your brother is growing & giving him a pinch of your personality, & encouraging your mother to continue to live & experience the joy in life. For your birth mother you give her the strength to move forward & walk a different path. For the love of your life, you have shown up to continue to care for her heart & remind her of the love you shared, & watching over your best friend & cousins to make sure they walk a good path. For others you remind them to tell those important to them that they are loved & have fun while reminding them that safety must come first. You are watching over the newest family member, encouraging her sassy & carefree nature. While Andrew's life on earth was brief, the impact Andrew had on others was immeasurable.

Andrew seemed to feel most alive when throwing caution to the wind, taking risks, & making others laugh. He gave the best hugs, displayed a stubborn streak that generally led to doing things his way, & displayed loyalty to his true friends. He was best known for his goofy laugh, radiant smile, carefree spirit & his ability to turn anything into something funny.

Andrew graduated from Papillion/LaVista High School. He worked for Builder's Supply where he was known to prank his co-workers & bring a good laugh to the workplace. Andrew had plans to continue his education & become a lineman.

Andrew is survived by his adoptive mother, Pam, sister, Destiny, brother Aiden, (birth) mother, Michelle, significant other, Jimena and grandmother, Mary Fran. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Patricia, Roy and Jeff. Andrew was loved by many, including his Uncle and Aunt (Bill and Robin), "the cousin group" (Mason, Chase, Emma, Evan and Eli), his cousins (Nick, Kathy, Sarah, and Dallas), & a great grandmother, Marilyn. Other close relationships include Katie, Angelo, Austin, Isaac, Rory, Cory, Judah, Cecilia and Doug.

Andrew, you will always be in our hearts, in our lives, & walk beside us. Our journey with you continues though we walk different paths, until we reunite in our forever home.