 Essie and Family 
My sincerest sympathy  to you and your family. Andy's memories  and love will always be in your heart. I know  those wonderful  memories shared together will continue to bring you comfort.
Your Friend,
Ola Fort

Essie,

Yesterday, my wife and I returned from a visit with family in Oregon, and I was shocked to learn of Andy's passing earlier this month..  I had lunch with him in June, and as always being with Andy was a highlight of the season.

I had the pleasure of knowing him professionally and personally, and whether it was discussing pensions or baseball, he was  a delight.  He had become a role model for me in so many ways, and I will always treasure the reality that first being a client , he then welcomed me as a friend.   Know that Andy Rochman was a treasure of a human being, who will always be in my heart and memory.

Ken Weintraub

Essie, I am saddened and shocked to learn after the fact, the passing of Andy. After reading all the memories, I feel I truly missed a treat in not meeting Andy. His wit, love of baseball, old time music and daily blog would have guaranteed our friendship too. May your memories, along with Jill and her family, sustain you as you move forward without Andy. I will keep you in my prayers and will be in touch.
Sisterly,
Sidney 

Andy was a kind, considerate, bright friend with a great knack for writing his baseball blog.    I looked forward to seeing his 'take' on baseball, specifically the Cardinals.   He would frequently come up with baseball minutia that you wondered how (or why) he sought that info.   But, it was enjoyable and interesting.
Andy and his blog will be greatly missed by many. 
Best to Essie and family.
Rick Halpern

Essie,
Claudia and I recentlylearned of Andy's passing in shock and dismay.  A great neighbor and a  better person.  We always enjoyed his insights and humor.  The common wall agreement was always a source of discussion.  Lunches with Andy were  special.  I did the the northside abandon synagogue tour with him once.
 We pass our sincere condolences from westerm NY and look forward to visiting and dinner when we return from our trip,
Sincerely,
Mark & Claudia Wall

Essie, you married Andy at our home in Scarsdale.  A home his aunt Reva welcomed him into on multiple visits,  on his weekends from college too. Reva even gave Andy all her 75s big band 1940s record collection when she married.  Sounds like he still has them.  Would love it if you’d share any family photos of our great grandmother, Gammy, and  grandmother,Esther. Marilynn would like to see them as well.  Send  email when you find them. Thanks, Ellen 

Dear Essie, Jill and family, 
We are so very sorry for the loss of your beloved Andy…..may he Rest In Peace!! 
After reading some memories it reminded me of this picture that I had of all of us wearing our Hawaiian shirts that Michael given us!! Such a beautiful picture of a wonderful memory!!
You will all be in our thoughts and prayers!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️
Memories are a wonderful thing! You both take care of each other!!
Peace!
Ron and Patti 

Andy and I went to lunch often.  I believe he knew someone in every restaurant in St. Louis and St. Louis County.  He would ask me what I wanted to eat and then he would pick the place.  Always great food.  However, the conversation was the highlight.  We shared many interests especially old wrestlers, old music and old sports. He was a rare guy.  Truly one of a kind.

I treasured getting Andy’s creative and fascinating thoughts about baseball and growing up together in Clayton and U City in the 1950s .  It is only fitting that the last one I have in my inbox was on July 1st titled “where have you gone Stan Musial?”  Perhaps now Andy can reminisce with The Man on a baseball field above.

Essie
The Rock was a superstar because of his candor, humor and Hawaiian shirts!
So very smart! Quickest wit of all time!
His smile is forever in my mind! 

I will miss Andy since both I and my twin brother Milton so looked forward to his witty blogs every morning, often about memories we shared with Khoury league teams and Marty Marion's baseball camp.  Andy was definitely "one of a kind" who made countless people smile each morning with a humorous memory or a unique opinion or facts about sports.  My sincere condolences to family members.

Memories of “The Rock”

My first memory of this original, unique, authentic, and at times irreverent character Andy took place on one of my earliest dates with Ken. We visited him at home in Clayton, which he shared with his parents, and opened the door to his bedroom. There was Andy sprawled out on his bed, surrounded by math books. I must have taken a deep inhale, for who does that??? That image, combined with the neatly placed numerous pipes on bookshelves around his room, signaled that knowing this person was definitely going to be an experience.

Another memory of Andy involves a visit when he was on his own renting an apartment and living the single life. He offered me a cold drink, which sounded great that hot, humid summer. I watched him put this drink together. He took ice from his ice tray in the refrigerator, and as I examined it, I saw wilted lettuce fragments in it. The cat then swished his tail across the top of the glass. How can I drink this, I thought. 

Years later, when Ken and I met Essie, we completely exhaled. This is one lovely, smart, classy woman we thought upon meeting her. And we have been friends as couples ever since.

I will forever visualize Andy in some outrageous outfit with a floral shirt of primary colors paired with pink shorts and a silly baseball cap, and I will also remember him neatly clad at a wedding with his beautiful wife Essie. 

We shared the love of writing. He sent me some of his original short stories, usually reality-based, and I’d always smile my way through them. 

What a guy. He was authentic, very loving, and clearly a wonderful friend to all he knew. We will miss him greatly.

Vicki and Ken
  


The Roch was a prolific writer and observer of our national past time. He blended in memories of days at Sportsman Park with incisive and humorous analysis of the current Redbirds. He understood  advanced SABR metrics and loved to debunk them. I will miss his columns greatly.  

I first met Rock when he would hold court at Starbucks on Wydown with his wife, friends and his beloved Wheaton Terrior. We became good friends talking baseball , having lunch and sharing memories of people we both knew. So many of us enjoyed his joy for life and his passion for baseball. I will miss Andy dearly. Rest In Peace my friend.

It's hard to accept that Andy is no longer in this world, to which he contributed so much joy.  I recall singing old rock and do-wop songs after Seders with Essie and Andy for hours on end.  

Andy was a collector of joyful pop culture including his collection of 1000s of CDs with music from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and early 70s.  He knew and could access the lyrics of many pop songs.

He regularly  shared his comprehensive knowledge of baseball through his blog, which was highlighted with pics selected from his vast collection of baseball cards.

Andy had the ability to bring great joy to his friends. This legacy will live on and are lives are enriched.  Thanks, Roch. We'll miss you.


essie and family....  andy will be remembered fondly. what a nice guy. enjoy your best memories /  jane brown

My memory of Andy is not confined to specific memorable events. It includes so many things. For starters, the dialogue I have carried on with him through decades of following his baseball blog. Each article was such a delight that I often wrote a response that led to a phone conversation full of laugh and joy. Whenever we talked, it always led to sentimental banter about the good old days and the friends who filled them.

On my yearly visits to St. Louis, a regular feature was a trip to one of Andy's favorite lunch places in some obscure part of town only Andy knew about. He knew it would delight me to get off Clayton's beaten track. It would always be followed by a long car tour of even more remote parts of town. Andy knew what I liked and always aimed to please.

He always wanted to know more about my health than to talk about his. He cared about his close friends like he cared about his family, though of course his family came first. Sick as he was, he would offer to fly me to whatever doctor I needed to see wherever that doctor might be. 

I loved when Andy would send me an obituary for any Clayton institution that bit the dust: Wydown Shoe Shine Parlor, or Clayton's last gas station giving way to an expensive high rise, or the destruction of Parkmoor on Clayton Road for a generic Walgreen's.

His relationship with Essie shall always be an example for me of how a loving couple can give each other the space to be themselves with deep devotion to family and yet with plenty of energy left to care for their dear friends.

Two thousand miles and fifty years separated us from our shared youth, but our friendship never flagged. Andy made certain that it would never end. I loved him so and felt loved by him. His whole life will always remain high on the list of my fondest memories.

At this moment my heart is with Essie and with Andy wherever he may be.

Jim Steinberg 
Forever grateful to have known and shared time with this special man.



I’ve known Andy since our Khoury League days together, and am proud to be considered among his numerous friends. Up until his death, he continued, through his witty blog, to make a lackluster baseball season an enjoyable sporting event. He will be sorely missed by many. 

OBITUARY

Andrew "Andy" Bernard Rochman

February 5, 1946 – July 7, 2021

Berger Memorial Chapel

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