Andrew James Koritnik

Beloved husband of Kristen. Loving son of Anton “Tony” and Shirley Koritnik. Dearest brother of Anjanette "AJ" (Geoff) Turbiak and Antoinette “Toni” (Zach) Rogers. Uncle of Tyler, Riley, Grace, John-Paul, Noah, Jeremy, Madeline, and Declan. Son-in-law of Michael “Mike” (Marie “Mitzi” Palms-Burt) Burt and Kathleen “Kathy” Morris. Brother-in-law of Karalyn (Andrew) Yermak, David (Ashley) Burt and Dan (Eve) O'Connor. Andrew will be missed by many friends and extended family. He was preceded in death by his paternal granddad “dada,” maternal grandparents, godparents and Uncles Jim and Joey, nephew Jensen, very good friend Keith, and beloved dog Shilo.

Andrew was the youngest child of Shirley and Tony. He often attended his older sisters’ sporting events with his parents, never fussing and always entertaining himself, such as climbing a tree while AJ ran her race, or watching skaters fall or watching the Zamboni at Toni’s skating competitions. He loved his big sisters and they loved him. As time passed, he was incredibly excited to become an uncle as his sisters’ families expanded and he loved spending time with his nieces and nephews. He shared his lifelong love of Lego with his nieces and nephews, often gifting Lego sets.

He also had a very special relationship with his parents. You could often find Andrew and his Dad working on a project or find Andrew talking with his Mom. He was there to support them at any time and he loved helping them and caring for them. He had a way of explaining things to make them understandable and even when in the hospital, he helped his Mom with driving directions. Andrew’s Mom sometimes referred to him as her angel. He was willing to do anything for them and you could see and feel how very much Andrew loved them both.

Andrew loved spending time with family and friends. As a young child, he would ask his family to play a game by saying “I’ll be your best friend.” Throughout the years, he has been a best friend to so many, always willing to help, listen, or be there for others with nothing requested or expected in return. Andrew’s caring nature and kind heart transcends human expectations. His enthusiasm and energy are infectious, fueling his many lifelong friendships and bringing together people from all aspects of his life.

A graduate of Michigan Technological University, Andrew fell in love with the school and the region he briefly called home: the Keweenaw. There, he cultivated his passion for cars into a career in the automotive industry and one of his favorite hobbies, off-roading. He continued to regularly visit the area, and even proposed to his wife Kristen in one of his favorite spots reached by off-roading in his big red Jeep.

After college, Andrew adopted his first rescue dog, Shilo, who he loved immensely. He and Shilo were constant companions. After Shilo passed, Andrew and Kristen continued to adopt rescue dogs - Aurora and Kitt who are also well loved.

Andrew enjoyed his work as an engineer and valued the friendships he made with many people that he worked with. He was an incredibly gifted problem-solver, a trait that fueled his career in engineering. His caring and humorous nature carried over into his work. Many co-workers also called him a friend.

It was through work where he met his wife Kristen through a co-worker and friend, also named Andrew, who is married to Kristen’s sister. Andrew and Kristen loved each other with their whole hearts and each moment was a precious gift that ended too soon. Andrew and Kristen were married in a small, beautiful backyard ceremony in Fall 2020 under a reclaimed wood arch built by Andrew and a friend. Andrew was a devoted husband who worried more about Kristen and others than himself, even as he was fighting cancer.

Andrew loved working on many different projects with his friends and father. He could often be found in the garage or barn listening to his favorite music - heavy metal, hard rock, and alternative metal. Andrew loved finding, working on, and modifying his vehicles. He surprised family and friends when he purchased a small school bus that he used to take family, including his nieces and nephews, and friends to view Christmas lights at Hines Park, take co-workers to lunch, and to tailgates at Michigan State. Andrew always had a fun and caring spirit, wanting to share good times with others.

Andrew also had an adventurous spirit and enjoyed traveling, especially when it involved road trips and off-roading. He enjoyed traveling Route 66 with his friend Brian and had planned to travel and show Route 66 to his wife later this year. Moab was one of his favorite destinations for off-roading. There he had an eventful trip with family, where he helped keep his sister’s vehicle from running out of gas by siphoning gas to her vehicle. He was always willing to help, no matter what it took. Andrew also loved outdoor sports like sky diving, jet skiing, and snowmobiling. He especially enjoyed a past snowmobile run with his friend Mike and family and trips to the Upper Peninsula.

Andrew enjoyed hosting friends and family, such as for bonfires, watching sports games, and for Thanksgiving dinner. He had a way of making moments fun, like his outdoor viewing setup to watch sports games and movies next to the bonfire. At these get togethers, you could often find Andrew with some kind of sweets which he loved, especially raw chocolate chip cookie dough and Slurpees. You may also have experienced an “Andrew hug” when you saw Andrew – he was known for his hugs being the absolute best as he held you tight, telling you through that hug just how much he cared. While we will miss Andrew’s hugs and him more than he will ever know, those who knew him are beyond lucky and blessed to have had the time we had with him.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in honor of Andrew for a memorial bench at Michigan Technological University through GoFundMe at:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/andrew-koro-koritnik-memorial-fund

Visitation will be Thursday, August 3, 2023 from 3pm-8pm at Harry J. Will Funeral Home, Livonia. The Funeral Mass will take place on Friday, August 4, 2023 at 11am (In state 10:30am) at St Genevieve-St Maurice Catholic Church, Livonia.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared by selecting "Add a Memory" below.