Andrew "Pony" Justin Sudberry Bush

He was born June 24, 1980 in Peoria.

In addition to his son, Andrew leaves to cherish his memory his loving mother, Sandy Sudberry Bush; beloved brothers, Nicholas Alexander Sudberry Bush (and his wife Amy) of Kennebunk, Maine and Eric Edward Bush of Punta Gorda, Florida; four nephews, Nicholas Bush, Jr., Justin Alexander Watts-Bush, Jonathan Howard Bush and Jordan Edward Bush; and one niece, Jessica Lynn Bush. Also left to treasure his memory are his dear aunt and uncle, Howard (Jr.) and Lisa Sudberry; his cousins, Shannon (and her wife Christina and their daughter Reese) Sudberry, and Justin Sudberry; beloved extended family; and a myriad of friends and lovers of his music who knew him as “Ponyboy” (or simply “Pony”). Also left to honor Andrew’s memory is his son’s mother, Whitney.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Howard (Sr.) and Marge Sudberry.

Andrew was filled with music, and expressed his love of it through composing, singing, and the ability to simply create beauty on any musical instrument he touched. He is best known for singing and rocking the drums in several area bands, including Brainchild. He still found time to follow the Chicago Cubs, and like so many other lifelong fans, enjoyed a love / hate relationship with the team. When the Cubs finally won the World Series again in 2016 after “an extended gap,” he was filled with joy and memories of his grandparents Marge and Howard, who would have been thrilled by the victory.

Andrew enjoyed a number of interests and hobbies ranging from vintage and high performance cars, to history, to the moon and stars - even politics, though he didn’t often share his views. He showed his patriotism by studying military technology and operations, and even served in the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps while in junior high school. Weather and its effects on our environment fascinated him. He approached all of these topics with curiosity and an open mind, studying carefully before forming an opinion.

Andrew will be remembered for his kindness, endless generosity, creativity, and gentleness, but he was undeniably cool and no one will ever forget his devilish smile, infectious laugh, and love of a good bandana. He was fiercely loyal to his family and friends, and especially dedicated to his son and mother. It sorrows deeply all whose lives he touched to lose this light - we were given his company for too brief a time, but his love surrounds us and that joy should lift us up in his memory; love goes to love and he is among the angels.

The family welcomes the fully vaccinated, wearing masks, to join us for a gathering celebrating Andrew’s life from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin, with a time for sharing stories and memories beginning at 6:30 p.m. Out of an abundance of caution, anyone who is unvaccinated, unwilling to mask, or is unwell, should not attend, but may share thoughts and memories online - and we hope to be together again soon.

Online donation and fundraising platforms keep a portion of the contributions as fees. The family has established a dedicated Venmo account where you may send contributions which will be used solely for future expenses of Andrew Wayne Sudberry Bush (such as education), and held in a professionally managed trust for his benefit alone. Please consider showing your support for Andrew in lieu of flowers or other gifts via the Venmo address: @ForAndrewWayne.

For more information or to donate another way, contact the family: [email protected]

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com