John C. Andrews

John C. Andrews Jr., 88

AUGUSTA - John C. Andrews Jr. died peacefully at Togus Springs Hospice on Mar. 21, 2017. He was born Jan. 14, 1929, in Providence, R.I., the son of John C. and Mary E. (Donoghue) Andrews.

John was educated in the Augusta school system, graduating from Cony High School in 1947. This was followed by a post-graduate year at Hebron Academy before proudly entering Brown University. While at Cony, he lettered in football, basketball, track and was vice president of the senior class.

After two years at Brown, John was drafted into the United States Army Medical Corp, serving at Lettermen Hospital in San Francisco and in Germany operating hospital trains. He was a proud member of the 325th Hospital Train.

While in the Army, John married Janice Milliken on October 13, 1951, and she joined him in Germany for a year. John and Jan shared many adventures in Germany and had fond memories of their time there. On John's release from active duty, he was employed by Dun and Bradstreet, first in Providence, R.I., and later in Portland.

In 1955, John went into the insurance industry, working for the Paul Revere Life Insurance Company in Worcester, Mass., for 33 years. At that time, John and Janice lived in Princeton, Mass. John served the town for 12 years as an assessor, followed by one term as a selectman.

Upon retirement from Paul Revere, John joined Unum in Portland, as director of individual underwriting, retiring in 1994. John enjoyed working for Unum and kept in touch with many of his co-workers over the years. He loved sharing a meal, stories and laughs with these friends. While working in Portland, he lived in North Yarmouth and truly loved living there.

In 2004, John came back "home" to Augusta to be closer to his beloved sister, Jean. John became the chauffeur to Janice and Jean on more adventures and many lunch and dinner dates together. The trio loved going out together and discovering new restaurants and sites to see! John did not like to sit still and was always ready to go!

John was a firm believer in living life to the fullest and having "quality of life." He encouraged all his friends and neighbors to live this way, too. Anyone who was lucky enough to know John was touched by his immense desire to live independently and enjoy each day for what it brought to him.

Because of this strong spirit and independence, John was able to live in his own home up until the last week of his life, which made him both very proud and happy.

John enjoyed the little things in life: a good meal, fresh vegetables, summer sunshine, being close to the ocean, restoring antique autos, attending auctions, riding in one of his antique cars in the Old Hallowell Day parade throwing loads of candy onto the streets, reading the newspaper, watching the Today Show, tuning in to "his cooking shows" on Saturday afternoons, strolling the aisles of Hannaford to gather groceries and chat with friends, sharing holidays with friends and talking to neighbors on his street. John had a gift for easily engaging everyone he came in contact with in conversation, smiles and laughter.

John was predeceased by his parents; his wife, Janice; and his sister, Jean.

John would like to thank all his caregivers during the last few years who helped him immensely. He treasured his Sunday conversations with a special nephew, Bill Milliken. Bill was a great sounding board and always gave John "good advice." John enjoyed good times with Bill and his family. John was lucky to live near some very special neighbors, Delaine, Rachel and Tim, who were always there for him with a delicious meal or a helping hand. He particularly would like to thank Jeff and Sandy Belanger, who were always there for him and helped him to live independently at his own home. John fondly called him "Jefferson" and declared he was his "main Man."

There will be a graveside service in the spring at the new Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Mount Vernon Road in Augusta. Arrangements are in the care of Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, One Church St., Augusta, where condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family on the website obituary page: www.khrfuneralhomes.com.

Because he loved animals and had many pets throughout his life,
memorial donations in John's memory may be made to the
Kennebec Valley Humane Society
10 Pet Haven Lane
Augusta, ME 04330