John B. Andrews

John B. Andrews

Rochester, NH — John B. Andrews, loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away on September 2, 2021 in Rochester, New Hampshire, surrounded by those he loved.

Born in Bridgton, Maine on July 14, 1946, the son of Harold P. and Thelma M. Andrews, he grew up in Yarmouth, Maine. He made several lifelong friends at Yarmouth High School, where he graduated in 1964. After a youth of mowing neighbors' lawns, washing dishes, and performing odd jobs, he proudly funded his own education to the University of Southern Maine, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science in 1968. It was there that he met his lovely wife, Sharon, whom he married in the Summer of 1969.

Upon graduation, John followed his dream of attending law school - a dream fostered by internships and work with Portland's city manager and with the firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson. He received his JD from the University of Maine School of Law in 1971.

Following law school, John began his career as a lobbyist for the Maine Municipal Association, where he drafted legislation and amendments, and served on Maine's first Public Employees Labor Relations Board, and the Maine Senatorial Redistricting Commission. In 1975, he moved to Concord New Hampshire, where he became the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) until his retirement in 2009. His career and efforts in the community were recognized in 2010 when he was presented with the Distinguished Service to the Legal Profession award by the NH Bar Association.

During his career at NHMA, he grew the organization from five employees in 1975 to over 120 before his retirement—but his true legacy is in the people he mentored, the relationships he cherished, and the family he adored. John's career touched every town and city in New Hampshire. He was an advocate for residents, brought innovative solutions to the state such as pooled, mutual insurance programs for health and property-liability, and empowered towns and cities to make changes for the betterment of their residents.

John owned several sailboats throughout his life, creating memories and teaching his children lessons on seamanship, nature, and patience. He loved to travel along the Maine coast and explore attractions big and small in New England and beyond. John always had a recommendation for diners, lobster shacks, and the most interesting, but never the fastest, route to any Maine destination. He was able to share his love of sailing and of Maine's coast with his grandchildren who were always his first topic of conversation. He was an avid reader of five new papers each day and those he knew could count on receiving articles in the mail, marked with his custom stamp, reading "thoughtfully culled by John B. Andrews."

John is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sharon, his daughter Betsey Andrews Parker and her husband Kelly, of Dover, NH, his son John Andrews and wife Jessica of Boxborough, MA, and his son Matthew Andrews of South Portland, ME. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, whom he loved dearly; Daniel, Lotus, Margaret, Eben, Andrew, Nathan, Sarah, Catherine, and Charles.

Visiting hours will be held on Friday September 10, 2021 from 3-5pm at Taskers Funeral Home, 621 Central Ave, Dover, NH 03820. A memorial service will follow at the Funeral Home which will be followed by a friends and family reception in Dover.

John believed in service to others, education, and civic engagement. In lieu of flowers, he requested donations to Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, 577 Central Ave., Suite 10, Dover, NH 03820 or a charity of your choice in his honor.

Please go to www.taskerfh.com for more information or to sign the online guestbook.