Andy Just

Charles Andrew "Andy" Just passed away peacefully at his home in Portland, Oregon,

surrounded by his wife and daughters on February 1, 2026.

Born January 24, 1932, in Salina, Kansas, to parents Roy and Ruth Just (ne e Zimmer), Andy

grew up alongside siblings Bill, Royanna, and Betty in a tight-knit family on a small farm

amidst the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, instilling in him lifelong values of family, God,

service, and hard work. A first- generation college graduate, he earned a business degree

from Kansas State University and soon thereafter joined the U.S. Air Force, serving honorably

for 10 years and achieving the rank of Captain. He was a reconnaissance pilot and flight

instructor, proud to say he flew every plane the Air Force had to fly, and his overseas tours of

duty included missions with NATO in Ramstein, Germany, and Laon, France. He was

awarded a lifetime membership in the Grand Order of Tape Dragons for flying home millions

of dollars in damaged aircraft, and he felt especially honored to receive the Order of

Daedalians Medal, awarded by the fraternal and professional order of U.S. military pilots, for

excellent instruction of the top-of-class pilots.

While in flight school in Greenville, Mississippi, he met and married Marietta Ann Morman,

with whom he had daughters Anita and Kellye and a son, Jonathan Craig, who died at

childbirth. They divorced in 1960 and Andy returned from his NATO mission to raise Anita and

Kellye as a single father. While stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina,

Andy met the lasting love of his life, Janice ("Jan") Elizabeth Johnson, and they married on

December 16, 1965. Always putting family first, Andy made a difficult choice to leave his

respected career in military service to fully devote his time and energy to starting over as new

family. Much later, he would also welcome into the household Jan's older brother, Lewis

Johnson, who suffered severe cerebral palsy, caring for him like a brother for 10 years.

Andy, Jan, and the girls moved to Denver, Colorado, to build a life together, with Andy

launching a new career in business and sales, ultimately focusing on the flooring products

industry. He developed a reputation for honesty and always worked to find the "win-win" for

his customers and colleagues. He became nationally known in his field, contributing articles

and interviews to many professional journals and serving as a valued speaker at conventions.

At the end of his career, he owned a flooring factory in Shannon, Georgia, where he produced

specialized anti-static, anti-fatigue mats for the burgeoning electronics industry.

Andy and Jan loved to socialize with their neighbors, who they considered extended family,

during their 34 years in the same house in Calhoun, Georgia. Always an active participant in

his community, Andy was a member of MENSA and enjoyed regular games of golf, chess,

bridge and pinochle with family and friends. He began playing golf as a way to get

comfortable with his customers, but he grew to love the sport for the strategy, proximity to

nature, and deep conversations the game engendered. He was recognized at his favorite golf

club for helping teach the local high school golf team, and he made lasting friendships and

imparted lifelong wisdom to his grandchildren as he walked the golf course. Two particularly

close friends from these days included Glynn Bunch, with whom he exchanged witty self-

penned poems, and Don Cochran, with whom he had deep discussions about life, God, and

art and they even collected flowers and plants along the golf course to create paint colors.

Andy was the most compassionate man his family ever encountered and was always there for

others, even if in a quiet way behind the scenes. He will be remembered for his persistence –

from his initial proposals of marriage to Jan (which she finally accepted!), to his dedication to

growing their relationship, to prioritizing family and being a good provider, even if it required

career changes.

"The best husband ever," he was true to his family, his marriage, and to his convictions. He

believed in never going to bed angry if there was a tiff, and he always had a joke ready to

keep things light and loving. He was famous for his dry humor, loved a good pun (or a bad

one!), and was the top contributor to an annual autumn limerick contest started by his

daughter Kellye. Andy loved nature, watching the birds, seeing the beauty of the ocean, or the

growing fields of wheat in Kansas – all the beauty that God provides us. He loved good food,

especially seafood – salmon was his favorite – and cookies or ice cream. His favorite meals

were those cooked by his wife Jan, and he always insisted on doing the dishes after her

exceptional cooking.

Andy was a fan of singers Jeanette MacDonald and Mario Lanza, and he enjoyed oil painting,

poetry, and literature. Known for being extraordinarily well-read and erudite, family members

fondly remember Andy reading aloud Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac" to the girls,

and Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" was his favorite love poem to read to Jan. He loved the

words of pilot John Gillespie Magee in the poem "High Flight," and we include a few lines here

in loving memory of Andy:

"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth, and ...

Put out my hand and touched the face of God."

Andy is survived by his beloved wife Jan Just (ne e Johnson); his adoring daughters Anita

Dilts (ne e Just) and Kellye Just; his grandchildren Rita Morris, Andrew Dilts, Nolan Morris

(with wife Alex and grandchild, Camilla), and Julia Dilts (with partner Yannick Van Dijk); his

sister Royanna Just (with husband Don Brix) and sister Betty Flynn (ne e Just) and her sons

John, Jeff, and Mark Borgerding; and sister-in-law Nelva Lee Just (ne e Dunham) and her son,

Randal Just.

Andy's parents, Roy and Ruth Just (ne e Zimmer), preceded him in death, as well as his older

brother, William Just; his brother-in-law who lived with them for 10 years, Lewis Johnson; his

brother-in-law Morry Flynn; and niece Pamela Younkin (ne e Just).

The family would like to offer special appreciation and heartfelt thanks to St Vincent's

Providence Hospice team, especially Nurse Patty and Aide Martina who lovingly cared for

Andy in his time of need and were a great support to Andy's family.

We invite you to share any special memories of this amazing man so full of love and love of

life... he touched so many lives, and in so many ways that cannot all be expressed here. He

will be missed by all who knew him.

Service Times: Committal Ceremony with Military Honor Guard will be held at 1:00pm,

Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Willamette National Cemetery;

The family welcomes visitors to their home to celebrate Andy's life and to share memories

from 3-5:00pm. Light refreshments will be offered.