Oliver A. Andrews

Andrews, Oliver A.

Oliver A. Andrews, age 84, of Stevens Point, WI died Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at Sylvan Crossings ending his battle with Parkinson's Disease and going home to heaven.

A memorial celebration of life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 600 Wilson Blvd, Stevens Point. Family and friends are welcome to gather and share memories starting at 10:00 AM until the time the service begins. Shuda Funeral Services are assisting the family.

Oliver is the son of Leslie and Verona (Miller) Andrews, born December 15, 1931 in Plymouth, WI. He married Ellen (Green) Andrews of Waupaca on June 9, 1951. They raised five children.

Ollie will be best remembered as an excellent chemistry and science teacher, gardener, fisherman and swim coach, swim official, and later in his life a daily YMCA lap swimmer. He was instrumental in the start-up of Steven Point's YMCA competitive swim team program in 1968 before the YMCA even had a swimming pool. The team practiced at other area pools until a pool was built for the YMCA. All the children were competitive swimmers.

As a chemistry professor at UW-SP he twice won the campus-wide "Excellence in Teaching Award" in 1968 and 1975. Discouraged by the quality of available text books to teach Introductory Chemistry, Andrews wrote his own chemistry book and workbook, "Basic Chemical Concepts" and then adopted the procedure of compiling the book himself -with the free labor of his family- so that his students would not incur an excessive cost to purchase his text book.

Oliver's ties to UW-SP spanned 40 years starting in 1949 when, after graduating from his native Plymouth High School, Andrews came to the then Central State Teachers College for its conservation program and an opportunity to play football. The team he joined became conference champions that fall. He changed from conservation to chemistry his first year. It was a great change that benefited many students.

After graduation in 1953, Ollie spent six years teaching science and coaching football at high schools in Bonduel and Green Bay. In 1956 he was one of 50 teachers chosen for one of the first National Science Foundation programs offered to advance the status of secondary science instruction. The family then traveled together with Ollie to colleges such as Kenyon College, Michigan State University, University of Kansas and Brown University for various NSF programs. Ollie spent 29 years as a chemistry teacher at UW-SP.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Ellen and 5 children: Jeff (Bronwyn Lind) Andrews, Greg (Linda Zelewski) Andrews, Bev (Eric) Buchner, Nancy (Rick) Dow, Shirley (Eric Sharer) Andrews-Sharer. 14 grandchildren: Nate Lind, Melissa Andrews, Brittany Dodds, Clover Todryk, Amburr Todryk, Oliver Todryk, Crimson Bricker, Sebastian Buechner, Bryan, Brennan and Andrew Dow, Megan, Erin and Kelsi Andrews-Sharer. 6 great-grandchildren and 1 sister, Joan Meston. Oliver is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Adrian and his infant son, Mark.

Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.shudafuneral.com