The Scots are known for being forthright, stubborn, and fiery as well as creative, hard-working and forward-thinking - born in Paisley, Scotland’s “largest town” bordering Glasgow, these are traits familiar to everyone who knew Andy, and, he never really did lose his accent or his predilection for a “a wee dram”! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The middle of five, with brothers John and Robert, and sisters Eva and Rosie, Andy, his siblings, Mum and Dad migrated to Australia in 1959 to start their life in Uriarra Village in the Australian Capital Territory. Since the age of 15, Andy played drums and sang in bands, making something of a name for himself with brother “Scotty” (Robert) in the local Canberra music scene. Among the many bands Andy was part of, a couple of the most notable were The Brothers Grimm, which was named after the two brothers and signed a recording contract releasing two 45’s in 1966, and successor, St James Infirmary, which played regular local headliner gigs and support acts for national and international bands in the late 60s. In a letter to a friend, Andy recalled P P Pineapple as the best band he ever had the pleasure of being in and also his one and only excursion into drugs – the speed he took made for a huge opening night gig, but the aftermath convinced him that that part of the rock‘n’roll lifestyle wasn’t for him! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Apart from his musical talent, it seems Andy was also known for his style and allure with the ladies. A band mate recalled in an email to Andy that his “sweet falsetto vocal contributions made the girls weep to a thumping beat that surely could have been felt on Lord Howe Island” and an article published in a local rag recognized him as the “best dressed member of the group, he liked mod clothes”. Andy’s style and creativity didn’t stop there, he produced many a painting and drawing and penned many a letter and story throughout his life, and for a good period of time he worked as a visual merchandiser with what was then known as Grace Brothers.
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In 1970 Andy was introduced by a friend to Deirdre (Dee), who he fell in love with and married a year later. Jamie and Kathryn were born in 1975 and 1977 respectively, by which time Andy, in his late 20s, was still declaring his occupation as a musician, but also as a clerical assistant at Waltons, presumably to make ends meet and save up for the family home Andy and Dee had built in Latham. Although Andy and Dee eventually divorced, they remained amicable. Dee recounts Andy’s stubborn and occasionally fiery nature, which found its way into both Jamie and Kathryn!
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Andy kept himself fit and active, like his son does now, he rode a pushbike to work every day, they played basketball together and for a time there in the 90s Andy ran his own “VIP” business doing gardening and home maintenance. Andy was ahead of the game when it came to technology, using email and reading e-books when many of his contemporaries were still posting letters and buying paperbacks, although he got it wrong when insisting digital audio tapes would supersede Compact Discs! Later in life Andy spent many an hour on his computer, digitising his archive of music and photos, playing strategy games, researching his family and local music history as well as communicating and reconnecting with his family and friends. In some ways, technology too became something of a lifeline for him, as, unfortunately, Andy lost the genetic coin toss.
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Growing up in the fifties, Andy recalled visits with his Grannie and Grandpa Caldwell on a Sunday after church (something that clearly didn’t influence Andy as he later ruffled feathers with his atheistic pronouncements) at which Grandpa was often bedridden with what was said to be because of war wounds, but later understood to be Multiple Sclerosis. In 1997 Andy’s Mum was also diagnosed with MS, but this was subsequently found to be Spinocerebellar Ataxia. Younger brother John, and Andy were both diagnosed with this rare hereditary condition in their early 50s and with 50:50 odds of passing on the faulty gene, the next generation is also now just coming to the age of onset, with Andy’s son Jamie and niece Renee beginning to identify symptoms.
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The condition eventually robbed Andy of his ability to move and communicate, but despite this, and the hearing problems he has struggled with all his life, he still managed to share his wit and charm with the people around him. In 2017 Andy made the difficult decision to move into an aged care facility, having on one too many occasions found himself struggling with the daily tasks of living. Of course, his stubbornness meant that he still, more often than not, insisted on doing things for himself, which resulted in more than one broken picture frame or coffee spilled on his keyboard! Although they admonished him for not asking for help, the staff at Sir Leslie Morshead Manor remained patient and encouraging, and will remember him fondly for the time he took to ask about their families, travels and cultural origins…as well as his insistence that they hadn’t yet added enough Frangelico to his coffee! Every week Kathryn diligently brought to Andy his stocks of sweets and alcohol, and Jamie was always on hand for IT services. Andy hated the idea of burdening his kids with his needs, and would always insist that they needn’t do this or that or worry about him. Like many a parent-child relationship though, when he did let them help he always had precise instructions for how to do whatever it was!
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Andy was one to keep across current affairs and was very socially conscious, he cared deeply for animal welfare, was opposed to the notion of war and didn’t have time for climate change denial. Andy had made arrangements some time ago to donate his body on death for medical research and was a vehement advocate for voluntary assisted dying. Unfortunately the laws applying in the ACT didn’t change soon enough for Andy and he was at the mercy of his condition to determine when he would go. This time came on Sunday 28 August, just two months after his 74th birthday.
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In some ways the end came as a shock, because just a week earlier Andy was still able to have a laugh and enjoy his sweets, having never lost his intelligence or memory. But at the same time his rapid decline in physical health came as a relief, after many years of slowly and frustratingly losing the ability to control his body and maintain a sense of independence. He would have hated the idea of his two surviving siblings and his two children sitting by his bedside for days on end waiting for him to die. Although Andy didn’t leave clear instructions for a funeral, memorial, or wake, those who know him could guess his preference would be to not make a fuss and certainly not to follow all the usual traditions. At the same time though, he would have probably said something along the lines of “but I’ll be gone, so it won't be about me anymore”.
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Farewell dear Andy, you will be missed by family and friends alike.
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