John Edwin Andrews

John Edwin Andrews, 89, of Boca Raton, Fla., and longtime resident of Washington and Waynesburg, passed away on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. He was born October 16, 1935, in Fountain Hill, PA, a son of the late Ella Siefert and John "Jonesi" Andrews. He grew up in Freemansburg and Hellertown, PA among a large extended family, many of whom worked for Bethlehem Steel. A 1953 graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, PA, John was captain of the football team and also played basketball and baseball. He attended East Stroudsburg State Teachers College (now East Stroudsburg University), where he was a four-year starter on the football team, serving as captain his senior year, as well as competing in wrestling and track. After graduating in 1957 with a degree in health education, John was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving with the 15th Infantry Regiment in Germany and helped coach, as part of the Special Services, an Army football team to the European Championship in 1958. He was honorably discharged in 1959. John went on to a long career in education and higher education administration. He received a master's degree in educational administration from Rutgers University in NJ. He held coaching and administrative positions at Washington & Jefferson College and Waynesburg College before moving into admissions and student affairs leadership roles at Thomas Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia, the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago, and the Cleveland College of Podiatric Medicine, in Cleveland. In 2002, after nearly 30 years in higher education, he retired and was awarded an honorary Ph.D. for his lifelong contributions to education. A talented athlete throughout his life, John especially loved golf, which remained his greatest passion. He was also deeply devoted to his family and to ensuring his children had the best educational opportunities possible. John is survived by his wife of nearly 64 years, Patricia Wiley Andrews; daughters, Hope Mitala (John) and Holly Rabinovitz (Dan); son, Kurt Andrews (Michelle); father-in-law, Ewing J. Rhoades; and grandchildren, Austin Rindner, John Mitala, Brandt Mitala, Louis Rabinovitz, Peter Rabinovitz, and Michael Andrews. John will be remembered for his love of family, his dedication to education, and his lifelong passion for sports. Memorial Services will be held at 11 a.m. on October 6, 2025 at the Palm Beach National Funeral Home and Chapel at 10055 heritage Farms Road, Lake Worth Florida, 33449.