Andy Baker

I know Andy when I was in middle school and he was my youth pastor. I had just been adopted by my family and everything was still new to me. I didn’t know anyone other than my family in the church. My mom took me to church and wanting to send to Sunday school. I didn’t want to go as I didn’t know anyone there. I was crying as she dragged me to the Sunday school room. Andy was the youth pastor for the middle schooler. He saw us, he went up to us and took me by the hand and said to my mom that he will take care of me. He did, he was my youth pastor for all three years of my middle school years. We became friends as the year went on but I have to say that first year probably was the hardest for him. I am pretty sure I probably put more bruises on than anyone has in his life. However, he never rise his voice or got mad at me when I hit him. He just took it like a champ and kept being patient with me. I learned many things from Andy. Like how to shoot a gun, one of the few times I see him being very serious. I learned from him about God, patient, and how to love others. Another story I have about Andy is when I was in the 7th grade. Every summer the youth group would go on a youth retreat. That summer we went on a youth retreat that was called quest. During the retreat one of day we had community service where we were helping someone or a center with their yard. We were putting new mulch in their yard all day. That night at the retreat I don’t remember what was taught but I do remember it was on Jesus wishing his disciples feet. Part of the activity was to wash each other’s feet. If you know Andy at all, you would know he doesn’t do feet. Like when his child was being born the doctor ask him to rub his wife feet to help. He had to put on gloves and lotion before he did it. And yet that night he wash my feet with his bare hand. I will never forget that night. I am going to miss you, Andy. I am going to miss your friendship and your love. I know you are at a better place now and I will see you again someday. Even so I am going to miss you.

Andy was a great friend to my brother Todd! I enjoyed the fun loving demeanor he and the guys had with each other and everyone around them. I am very grateful to have been able to visit and share a slice of life with him. There are no coincidences, our paths will cross again!

Andy is one of those people everyone loves. And once you knew him, it was easy to understand why. I first met Andy when I was in fourth grade and he was a volunteer firefighter at Fire District 5. At the time, my parents had opened their home to a few of the guys, often feeding them dinner on weeknights or weekends when they were working or just needed a place to go. I was instantly smitten with Andy. He was so funny, so kind, and always made time for my sisters and me. He never made us feel like we were just kids in the background. He genuinely cared, and we loved him for it. Before long, Andy started dating my oldest sister’s best friend, Erica, and began attending our church. We were convinced they were going to get married and that we would soon be gaining a brother. Although life had other plans, I think it’s safe to say we eventually got that brother anyway. Andy committed his life to Christ and went on to attend Bible college. Along the way, he met a beautiful redhead named Heather, fell in love, and eventually brought her back to the church where it all began. Before long, they became our youth pastors. Andy and Heather began investing in our lives in a whole new way. They hosted Bible studies, welcomed us into their home, made dinners with us, and poured so much of themselves into a bunch of teenagers who probably kept them on their toes. Looking back, I’d say we gave them some pretty good practice for when their own littles became teenagers. We were definitely a handful! As the years went by, we grew from teenagers into young adults, but Andy and Heather never stopped being there for us. When William and I began talking about getting married, Andy was one of the very first people who came to mind. The marriage he and Heather modeled was exactly the kind of marriage I hoped to build with William. We began marriage counseling with them, and it felt like no time had passed at all. They were still doing what they had always done: loving people, investing in them, and helping guide them through life. Through all the different seasons, Andy and Heather continued to show up for me. The love, history, and bond we shared never faded. I truly did gain a brother in Andy, and I loved him with my whole heart. I will miss him more than words can express. My heart also aches for Heather and their children because Andy was such an incredible husband and father. He loved his family so well, and the life they built together was a beautiful reflection of the man he was. When I think about what Andy leaves behind, I keep coming back to one thing: the way he made people feel. He made you feel seen. He made you feel welcomed. He made you feel loved. He gave his time, opened his home, invested in people, and showed up when it mattered. His life reminds me that sometimes the greatest impact we can have isn’t found in the big things we accomplish, but in the way we love the people God places in our lives. I am so grateful that I got to be one of those people. I am grateful for his example, for the memories, for the years of friendship, and for the brother I gained along the way. Andy makes me want to show up more, love deeper, open my home, and make people feel the way he made us feel: genuinely, wholeheartedly loved. What a gift it was to know him. What a gift it was to be loved by him. And what a gift it is to carry his example with me for the rest of my life.

Andy really made our wedding that much more special when he said he'd marry Thomas and I. I'm pretty sure he told me he'd charge us around $5000 but changed his mind quick. It wouldn't have been the same without him. I'll never forget that

Senior skip day, 1999. A ton of people were over at a mutual friend’s house who had a swimming pool. Now I can’t remember the beverages at the time but I can assume there were some adult in nature. Andy got it in his head to jump from the second story of the residence into the backyard pool. Now he was making a show of it and we were all looking forward to the tsunami that was going to come. As we were all cheering him on, Andy got a jump off the balcony and down toward the pool. I don’t remember if he hit the pool deck or the shallow end but not of all Andy made it. Andy hollered about his foot and leg. It was slightly terrifying because he was sure it was broken. Due to the nature of the day I was in no shape to drive him so another friend drove Andy to the hospital in my car. He was cracking jokes the whole time with a cracked leg. Andy was fearless and a friend to all who had the privilege to meet him. Over the years I would see him around and it was always just so easy picking things up where they left off. I’m so sorry to the whole family. He was truly one of a kind. I’m so grateful to have been able to call him a friend. Rest easy big guy!

Andy was the pastor at our wedding, my husband's cousin's husband. If only met him a couple times before our wedding, but he was funny every time. He did a great job marrying us. But if I remember correctly, there was a slight emergency because he had accidentally packed Heather's pants instead of his own. He is clearly wearing pants in the wedding pictures, so it must have worked out!!!!

I’ve known Andy for more than half my life, and he helped carry my family through some very hard times. One of my favorite memories is when Andy had to call and tell Brian and I that he could not in fact marry us because we happened to have our wedding on the same day he was booked to be in Vegas at a gun show. So instead of having another pastor that Andy recommended us use we just told him to make it official at the rehearsal and Heather could just fake it at the real wedding. Andy got so happy and practically shouted “I’ve always wanted to do that! It’s pretty much the real deal anyways!” So that’s how we got legally married at our rehearsal without telling anyone until it happened. Andy will be so deeply missed and the world is a little bit dimmer without him in it. He changed so many lives and will never be forgotten.

We were so blessed to have Andy marry us! Cole somehow convinced Andy to introduce us as Mr. & Mrs. C-Dawg as our first introduction walking back down the aisle. We had such a fun day, and Andy was the life of the party!! Before the wedding we did pre-marital counseling with Andy and Heather, and I’ll never forget Andy starting it with “I only marry couples I really think have what it takes to make it.” no pressure… right? Andy also told us, if you ever want to call it quits, call me first. We can talk, we can figure it out, don’t ever just quit. Real marriages take work, and quitting isn’t an option.

One of my favorite memories of Andy happened on a middle school trip. We had taken a group of middle school students on a trip where we spent time teaching them about serving others, loving people well, and putting others before themselves. It was a great trip, filled with opportunities to learn, grow, and make memories. But every good middle school trip needs a little fun, too! So, on our fun day, we headed to Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center in Wilsonville, Oregon. Somewhere between the games, laughter, and all the excitement, a middle school boy decided he had a challenge for Andy: a pizza-eating contest! Now, if you knew Andy, you knew he was always up for a little fun, especially if it involved making people laugh. Apparently, this was no exception. The contest began, and at some point, the young challenger made his way over to Andy, who was right in the middle of eating a slice of pizza. "Andy, how many slices have you eaten?" Without missing a beat, and with a mouthful of pizza, Andy confidently replied, "I've eaten three slices!" The middle schooler looked at him, did a quick mental calculation, and immediately announced, "I've got to catch up!" And off he went! A little while later, the boy returned to check on his competition. "Andy, how many have you eaten now?" Andy, still playing the game, casually answered, "Six!" The boy's eyes probably got a little bigger as he realized he had some serious catching up to do. What the poor kid didn't know was that Andy had only eaten THREE slices of pizza! That's right. Andy was completely making up the numbers, all while keeping a straight face and letting this young man believe he was competing against a pizza-eating champion. The contest continued, with the middle schooler giving it his best effort and Andy enjoying every minute of the entertainment. Eventually, they decided to call it a draw. A DRAW! I don't know who actually won that pizza contest, but I have a pretty good idea who won the award for best entertainment! That was Andy. He had a gift for making ordinary moments extraordinary. He didn't need a microphone, a stage, or a carefully planned activity to make an impression. Sometimes all it took was a few slices of pizza, a middle schooler who took the competition seriously, and Andy's quick wit. But as funny as that memory is, it also reminds me of something much bigger about Andy. He had a magnetic personality. People were naturally drawn to him. Kids loved him, adults loved him, and wherever he went, he seemed to bring people together. He had a way of making everyone feel included, noticed, and glad they were there. We went on that trip to teach middle schoolers how to serve others, but Andy taught us something, too. He showed us that serving others isn't always about the big things. Sometimes it's about being present, sharing a laugh, getting down on a kid's level, and making a memory that will last a lifetime. I imagine that middle school boy probably still remembers that pizza contest. And I know those of us who were there will never forget it. We miss Andy's laughter, his humor, his energy, and the way he could light up a room simply by being himself. Andy didn't just fill a room when he walked into it. He filled people's hearts. And even though we may never know how many slices of pizza he actually ate, we know one thing for sure: he left all of us wanting just one more moment with him.

Back in the early 2000’s, my husband Mike Kirk taught Casey Garcia and Andy how to bass fish out on Moses Lake. They went out probably every week during the summer until Casey moved away to South Dakota. They were a crazy group of guys who are now all together again.

Andy and I worked together at K-Mart in -1999-2000. I always wondered how on Earth he wasn’t fired from the continuous shenanigans. I soon realized his Mom was one of the managers who was constantly scolding him about his attitude/ comments/ jokes, you name it. 10 minutes before store closing an announcing message by one of the employees would be heard across the store giving the countdown to closing. It was something out of a comedy, Andy in a clear Cartman from South Park voice, before the closing announcer could make the 10 minutes before closing announcement, “so, ya, 10 minute before closing, get yourself dressed from trying on clothes, finish up your evening poop, etc. The announcement grew more and more off color while the store managers searched the building to find which phone he was using. When he saw a manager coming he’d hang up the phone and run out the front door. He was actually able to do this more than once before the hammer came down. I sat at a table with Andy in Chemistry class. He absolutely hated our teacher, Ms. Beach. He did everything to interrupt, correct, repeat, parrot back, just to catch her off guard. When that didn’t work, he called her “Ms. Bitch” with just enough of an accent as not to draw too much attention to what he was really saying.

Andy was my Middle School Youth Pastor. Andy and Heather were always there for everyone and anyone. I enjoyed going on all of the trips that were offered to us. Urban Plunge, Youth Quake and Quest. I remember all the wacky games we always played on Wednesday night Youth Group. Heather I want you to know that both you and Andy had a great influence on my life and I am forever grateful to have both of you in my life.

Big Playoff game against Prosser. We win & Andy does the Truffle Shuffle on the 50 yard line facing all of the Prosser team & fans. Was hilarious. He also did that after a few other football games win. Just may not have been on the 50. Lolol

It was so fun working with Andy. He was the middle school pastor and I was the high school pastor. We did a lot of memorable things together, including videos. My favorite one was set to the Queen song “You’re My Best Friend.” We went to Barbara Ann’s Diner and drank one milkshake with two straws. We were laughing so hard as we stared into each other’s eyes from inches away as we slurped down milkshake. We went to the park and rolled down the hill together then we skipped down the beach arm in arm. It was so much fun and our students loved it. The last time we talked on the phone I said he HAD to find that video. I’ll miss my friend, but I’m so glad I know I’ll see him again.

The Diet Coke and Mentos rage had just begun. It was fairly early in the youtube days. I had only published one video at that point. Andy was in town and we decided to make some videos. We did the Diet Cok and Mentos and I was floored that it actually worked. Then we decided to tray other sodas to see how well those worked. None were as good as the Diet Coke. We did fill a 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke with Mentos and put the cap on it. Andy then threw it on the ground. Nothing happened so he kept throwing it. It exploded and almost hit a car that was driving past us. We were soaking wet with soda. One of many crazy adventures! The picture is a screengrab from my youtube channel. So it is very pixelated from. 20 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up1DoY8Cfwg