Tae Wan Andrews

ANDREWS, TAE WAN Tae Wan Andrews, born September 12, 1962, died at the age of 45 on March 30, 2008. Gifted with athleticism, academic brilliance, and a beautiful mind for business, Tae leaves an enviable legacy. In 1984, as an undergraduate at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, Tae set a track record for the 55 meter dash at 6.24 seconds. An injury kept him from the Olympics for triple jump, but that didn't stop Tae from excelling elsewhere. He graduated from Annapolis with the title of Second Lieutenant and then cross-commissioned from Navy to Air Force. In 1989, Tae separated from the Air Force with the rank of Captain, and started work as an account executive at Leo Burnett Chicago. This began an ascent to product manager positions within Fortune 500 companies like Kraft Foods and Colgate-Palmolive during which time he acquired his M.B.A. from Columbia University. Tae's rising star pinnacled with TheraSense Inc. in 2001, as V.P. of Sales and Marketing, when the company went IPO despite wary post 9/11 recessionary market conditions. By leading his sales and marketing team with vigor, his unique approach to branding and marketing the FreeStyle blood glucose monitoring device changed the face of diabetes and led to a global awareness of diabetes care. Tae was a fiercely loyal, creative and generous young man who improved the lives of everyone he touched. He leaves behind his parents, Sopuni and Lindberg Andrews of Newport News, VA, his brother Edward, niece Rachel, nephew Travis, his first wife, Rosemarie Kent and their children, son Tae Edward, a 2008 Notre Dame graduate, daughter Kellyrose and grandson Nico, his twelve year old son, Connor Tae, and his second wife, Alison Fenton. Two funerals were held in San Diego; one Buddhist and one Christian. Tae's remains will rest in New York, where his children reside. Due to Tae's giving nature, his family requests that any donations go to the Pay it Forward Foundation, PO Box 5522, Cambria, CA 93428. Tae will be remembered for his tenacity, warmth, and infectious giggle. He never stopped trying.