James Andrews

James Hoyt Andrews
1933 – 2021

Our beloved husband, father and grandfather, James (Jim) Hoyt Andrews, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2021 at the age of 88 surrounded by his wife, Bebe, and his children. Jim lived an extraordinary life filled with realized dreams, adventure, family, church and love.

Jim was born in Tampa, Florida on February 4, 1933 to John and Frances Chappell Andrews. He was the youngest of four children. Jim is preceded in death by his siblings:
Phyllis Jane Andrews Rivers, John Francis Andrews, and Richard Walton Andrews.

Jim had an idyllic childhood. He had loving parents and fun older brothers. He learned how to hunt and fish and would spend lots of time in the Florida woods and on lakes enjoying these pastimes. His family enjoyed golfing and fishing and spending time together at the beautiful Florida beaches.

Jim was an entrepreneur from a very young age. He had several neighborhood businesses: raising, training and selling homing pigeons, raising, butchering and selling fresh chickens, selling bouquets of pansies from his mother’s flower beds, and selling tangerines, grapefruit and oranges from the orange trees in their yard. In junior high school, Jim had a paper route, and he rode a motor scooter to deliver the papers. He knew the value of hard work.

In 1951, during the Korean War, like so many other patriotic young Americans, Jim enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17. He served for three years and was awarded a Silver Star for gallantry and bravery for neutralizing an enemy stronghold at the top of a hill. He also received two purple hearts for being wounded in combat. Jim was a true patriot. He loved America. He respected the flag. He always stood, removed his hat and put his hand on his heart when the American flag was presented or the National Anthem was sung. He enlisted at that young age for love of country, flag and family.

Jim met Evelyn (Bebe) Fernandez, when he was in the 9th grade and was hopelessly smitten. They married in the Salt Lake City Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on December 28, 1954. They celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in December. They were blessed with seven children, James (Jamie) Hoyt Andrews, Jr. (deceased), Jana Andrews Baird, Douglas Wade Andrews (deceased), Dana (Dolly) Blair Andrews, Tara Jayne Andrews, Tiffany Andrews Clinger, and Chase Bradford Andrews.

Jim attended the University of Tampa and the University of Florida. He was a forever Florida gator football fan. He also completed two years of Medical School at the University of Miami. After realizing the field of medicine was not the right career path for him, he enjoyed great success in the pharmaceutical and life insurance industries and in commercial real estate development. He loved putting together a business transaction and overcoming whatever obstacles got in the way. Jim believed your word is your bond and sealed many business deals with only a handshake.

Jim was forever an optimist. His positive attitude lifted everyone around him. He was a man of integrity and honor. He was the epitome of a southern gentleman and had impeccable manners. He lived by the motto, if you cannot say something nice about someone, do not say anything at all. He followed the Savior’s teaching: ‘. . . whatsoever ye would that men should do to you: do ye even so to them. . ..’

Jim’s conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was tested and refined in the foxholes of Korea. On countless occasions, his life was spared by listening to a quiet prompting from the Holy Spirit. After serving in Korea he had the opportunity to serve in bishoprics, on high councils and in a stake presidency for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jim was a lifetime valiant home teacher and never missed his monthly visits with his home teaching families.

Jim and Bebe served a fulltime mission for their church to Omaha Nebraska - serving in
the Winters’s Quarter Temple, the Visitor’s Center and the Kanesville Tabernacle. They
especially loved their time spent with the Sudanese branch in Omaha. They also served
as ordinance workers in the Provo Utah Temple for fifteen years. Jim loved serving in the temple. His testimony was unwavering. When he served, he gave his all.

Jim had a big heart. He was generous and always willing to extend a hand to someone in need. His countless acts of service, big and small, to family and friends, created a legacy of service that lives on in his children and grandchildren.

Jim’s happiest moments in life were with his family. He was the most loyal fan of his children and grandchildren as he attended sports, dance, piano, drama, speech festivals, and other activities to support them. With his example and love, his children and their posterity are blessed for eternity. He created a firm and strong foundation on which they have each built their lives and testimonies. He will be missed, but his memory will live on for years to come. We will miss him in this life and look forward to when we will meet him again knowing that families are eternally linked through the sealing power in the temple. He is dearly loved and idolized by his wife, children, and grandchildren.

Jim was preceded in death by his sons, Jamie and Doug. He is survived by his wife, Bebe, daughters in law, Karen Peterson Andrews and Kathleen Swensen Andrews, daughters, Jana Baird (Lloyd), Dolly Andrews, Tara Andrews, and Tiffany Clinger (Stephen), and son, Chase Andrews (Kelly), 18 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren.

There will be a private funeral service for Jim at the Nelson Family Mortuary in Provo, Utah on April 2, 2021. He will be interred at Eastlawn Cemetery in Provo, Utah.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Humanitarian Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the charity of your choice.