Dr. Charles Andrew Riess

Dr. Charles Andrew Riess, 78, passed away on April 20th, 2025 at his home in Falls Church, Virgina. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday June 7, at Jefferson Funeral Chapel, 5755 Castlewellan Dr, Alexandria, Virgina with Reverend David Crosby officiating. A live stream of the service will be available online for those that cannot attend.
Andy was born September 4, 1946 in Waco, Texas to Harold and Nelda Baker Riess, both of whom preceded him in death. Growing up, he attended Sanger Avenue Elementary and North Junior High in Waco, TX. After graduating from Richfield High School in Waco, TX in 1964, Andy went on to attend Baylor University and received his Bachelors Degree in 1968. He then attended Indiana University to pursue his Master's degree where his studies were interrupted when he volunteered for the United States Army Security Agency as a Linguist. After completing the Army language school in Monterey, CA, Andy was stationed in Berlin, Germany where he used his Russian language skills for the Army during the Cold War. In 1972 he left the Army and went on to complete his Master's degree and eventually received his Ph.D. from Indiana University. Dr. Riess spent the majority of his professional career working for the Fulbright Scholarship Program where he was able to work with international exchange students, a position he found very fulfilling.
As a child, Andy had a ferocious appetite for knowledge and was known for his love of books and education. His service in the United States Army Security Agency as a Linguist gave him the opportunity to learn new languages and have experiences most only read about, while providing him an avenue to further his education. He ended up learning six different languages over the course of his life. Andy was known for his outgoing personality, sharp wit and his ability to get along with anyone. While he was quite often the smartest guy in the room, he was a humble man and treated everyone with respect and dignity. Andy made friends everywhere he went and held on to those special relationships throughout his life. He remained especially close with his brother Baker his entire life until his passing three years ago.
He is survived by his nephew Kevin Riess, niece-in-law Shauvon Riess and great nephew Jackson Riess of Waco, TX; niece Karen Riess of Abilene TX, great nephew Joshua Gutierrez, great-niece-in-law Lexi Gutierrez and great-great-nephew Silas Gutierrez of Colorado Springs, CO; cousins Maurine Riess, Allison Poe, Lena Poe of Austin, TX and Lauren Cummings of Nashville, TN; cousins Julie Shirar and Martin Kearns of Shelburne Falls, MA; cousins David Shirar, Dallas Shirar and Siona Shirar of Swannanoa, NC. He is also survived by his childhood friend Randy Woods and godson Clayton Woods of San Antonio, TX and many other close friends.
The family wishes to thank all of his friends for all of their support during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been set up in Andy's honor that will support exchange students with Indiana University. Please visit gofundme.com and search for "Honor Andy Riess: Support Student Scholarships" if you would like to contribute.