Mimi McAndrew

Mimi McAndrew

Reno - The night before a big family reunion years ago, it was Mimi McAndrew who was adamant that dancing around the swimming pool might be unsafe.

The next night it was Mimi who led the Conga line after appropriately changing in to a stunning black bathing suit.

Mimi, who lit up a room with her personality, big brown eyes and a great pair of legs, died at home on Nov. 7, 2018. She was 75.

She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, and friend.

Second to her family, she adored and dedicated her life to journalism and teaching.

Born and raised in San Francisco, she attended the University of Nevada, Reno. She lived in Manzanita Hall, studied journalism and fell in love with the Biggest Little City.

After college, she was hired as a reporter at the Reno Evening Gazette and later the Reno Gazette Journal. You may remember her byline then as Mimi LaPlante.

She was the kind of reporter city editors dream about, said one of her editors Warren Lerude.

"She was fast and thorough and accurate, the very best," he said.

She wrote stories at the beginning of her career that she still talked about up until her death, including the time her editors sent her undercover as a Reno High School student.

She moved to New York in 1970 and fell in love at first sight in the Poughkeepsie Journal newsroom, in upstate New York.

She married reporter Tom McAndrew after their fifth date. They were married 48 years.

She won numerous awards both as a reporter and editor. She edited a 12-page special report, To Be Black in Dutchess County, that won top prizes by the Gannett Co., The New York State Associated Press and New York State Publishers Association for in-depth community reporting.

As a reporter, Mimi completed a six-part series in 1973 on the problems of senior citizens in Dutchess County. Then County Executive William Bartles said the series "triggered my establishment of the Dutchess County Office of the Aging," still a major resource for aging citizens in Dutchess County.

In 1986, Journal managing editor William Pukmel wrote a column about the Journal staff, their jobs, and responsibilities. For Mimi, he wrote he chose her as city editor because of her impeccable editing skills, her outreach to the community and her sense of humor. He wrote she once got a call from a reader asking if she wanted to do a story about his talking duck. "Sure, of course," she said. "Put the duck on the phone." He hung up.

She also was a stringer for the New York Times. During a winter night covering a historic mansion that had burned down, she outwrote reporters from around the state. She had also remembered to bring pencils to the assignment as others struggled with freezing ink in the below zero temps.

For many years, she also was a college professor teaching journalism at Marist College, Vassar College, the State University of New York at New Paltz and later in California.

As a teacher she stressed the importance of accuracy and of well edited and lively writing in what she called, "tight and bright."

In 1977 her students presented her with a plaque that simply said "Thanks," and underneath "tight and bright enough?"

In writing this obit for Mimi, we cried knowing it needed her editing. Where was our trusted editor telling us to rewrite the lead? This obit would be so much better if she were alive.

Mimi and Tom had two children and raised them on South Street in Rhinebeck, New York.

Although she was a busy journalist, she loved being a mother and was so proud of her daughters, Siobhan and Molly. She would race home from a busy day at work to watch swim meets, softball games and school plays.

Once during a championship swim meet, Siobhan, stopped swimming and said, "Hi, Mom," between butterfly strokes in the middle of the race. The other mothers were horrified, that Siobhan had blown her chance at winning a race for something so silly, but Mimi was honored.

She was the kind of mother you wanted to shower with grand gestures of love. She was also just so fun, once offering Molly and Siobhan $5 to do cartwheels in the mall.

Every Christmas she was known for giving homemade stockings full of gifts and goodies to people who least expected it like the nice grocery store clerk.

Mimi, Siobhan and Molly would stay up late and cuddle in bed watching "Dallas," on nights Tom worked late in the newsroom.

She loved singing at the top of her lungs "Somebody to Love" by Queen on road trips she took with Molly.

After moving to California to help lead two newspapers at two papers, she returned to Reno to retire in 2007. Both her daughters moved to Reno because Mimi always spoke so highly of the Biggest Little City.

She even secretly became Siobhan's unpaid and private editor when she started at the Reno Gazette Journal. Mimi offered honest advice, including being firm when she said a story was horrible and that she should start over.

To have Mimi like one of your stories was the greatest compliment, beyond any award. But when a misplaced modifier, missing comma or grammatical error made it in to print, it drove her mad.

She continued to give Siobhan journalism advice up through her two years on hospice and up until she died.

In 2011 and 2014 she became a grandmother, one of her greatest joys. She proudly told everyone she met, that Riley and Michael were the most brilliant and beautiful grandchildren.

"I know every grandparent says that," she said. "But I'm right."

Every morning, she would ask Siobhan to recount funny stories about her grandchildren.

Riley and Michael adored "Nanny," often showering her with kisses while they explained to her how to do something on her iPhone.

She did die, though, without really understanding the difference between posting something on her Facebook wall, sending a private message and texting.

She was preceded in death by her Aunt Ducky and Uncle Homer, who she loved so very dearly.

She was thankful for the journalists she met in her career including Lark Landon Dimperio, Kathy McNulty, Paul Hurley, Larry Hertz, Mary Beth Pfeiffer, Bonnie and Larry Striegel and countless others.

She also had a special place in her heart for family friend Steve Moss and Mike Antonucci.

She was so thankful for her friendship with Mary Cronan, a friend she met in the last two years of her life. She loved Mary.

She loved Kent Young, Christina Stoever Young and their son Jackson. They call her mom, too.

She loved her son-in-law and the father of her grandchildren Mike Dillon.

She adored her extended family including all the Prestimonicos, Brauns, Faiellos, Walchers, Culvers, Brusatoris and Vansickles.

One of Mimi's favorite lines was from poet e.e. cummings, "Thank heaven somebody was crazy enough to give me a daisy."

Tom always gave her daisies and was the love of her life.

Mimi donated her body the University of Nevada Medical School. The school honors donors at a service in the spring. The family will have a Celebration of Life/rocking Irish wake after the medical school service. All that knew and loved Mimi are invited.

We had the most wonderful mother in the world. We know everyone says that, but we are right.

We can't imagine life without her. Love, Tom, Siobhan and Molly.