Andrew Emerano Mercado

1923 - 2012

Andrew Emerano Mercado, born in Yauco, Puerto Rico September 22,1923, came to this country as a small boy at the age of 11 with his sister Angela to be reunited with his mother and father who had come to the United States in search of a better life. Andrew died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 88 while battling colon cancer and ulcerative colitis; his family was at his side.
Andrew served his country proudly for 24 years in both the Navy and the Air Force. He retired in the 1960s and worked for the U.S. Postal Service for several years before retiring to pursue his lifelong passion for fishing. He went back to school in his 60s and obtained a degree in Applied Science, Wildlife Fisheries, from Peninsula College, Port Angeles, WA.
He was an extremely independent man and fought his illness to the very end. But then on March 24th, 2012 at 7 p.m. Andy decided that he would rather go fishing. He will be dearly missed by his family. He is survived by his two daughters, Angela Mercado, and Michele Layne; and his son, Andrew John Mercado; as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Andrew had one final message for everyone and that was, "Get Your Colonoscopy!"
Family at a future date will have a private get together in the Sierra Nevada mountains where Andy hiked, camped, and fished and where he found the most peace. Donations can be made in his name to one of the many organizations he supported; National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, The National Audubon Society, or Veterans of America.