George R Andrews

He was born May 13, 1946 in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to the late Ralph Emerson Andrews and Mary Catharine Ahlborn. Along with his parents, George was preceded in death by his sister and best friend, Laura Jane (Fred) Merritt, and niece Amy Lynn Mettlach.

George graduated in 1964 from Scottdale Joint High School in Scottdale, Pennsylvania and went on to receive in 1968 his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. His sister, Laura Jane "Janie" was a registered nurse and was his inspiration to become a doctor. In 1972, he received is Doctor of Medicine degree from Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he completed his Internship in Major Surgery in 1973, Surgical Residency in 1975, and Anesthesiology Residency in 1978.

He spent much of his career as an anesthesiologist at St. John's hospital in Springfield, Illinois where he served as chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology. Outside of work, he served on the Board of Directors of the Springfield Theater Center and hosted fundraising events for state political campaigns. Wanting to spend time in sunnier Florida, he semi-retired and performed medical reviews of disability claims at the Illinois Department of Human Services. He commented that he worked at IDHS enough each year to pay for his trips to Florida. George fully retired in 2012 and moved permanently to St. Pete Beach, Florida.

George is survived by nieces Laura Beth (Brady) Sines, Martha Jane Merritt, niece Amy Lynn's sons James Thomas Mettlach and Jason Merritt Mettlach, and beloved canine companion, Kali. A private family service under the direction of Beach Memorial Chapel of St. Pete Beach, Florida will take place in January 2024, when his cremains will be scattered per his wishes in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.beachmemorial.com for the Andrews family.