Andrew Hassel

“It’s all our memories that will keep you near.”

Andrew passed away in Leighton Hospital on 7th February aged 78 years.

A beloved husband, dear Father, Brother and cherished Grandad who will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by many.

Andrew was a man who was well travelled, who knew a life of privilege but also a life with challenges and some pain, a man with an extraordinarily generous and loving heart whose sense of family was equally broad and generous. He took pride in always maintaining the highest standards.

 

He was born in Jamaica to a Norwegian sea captain and a Spanish Jamaican mother. He had a younger brother, John.

 

Andrew’s father was a great role model of whom he was very proud: smart uniform, high standards, world travel, and a generous lifestyle to match.

 

During the last war Andrew’s father captained one of the merchant naval ships which helped to evacuate allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk.  That is a story to celebrate in family over the generations! How proud Andrew must have been of his dad!

 

The family lived in various countries – Jamaica, Norway, USA, Canada, and finally the UK.

 

Andrew settled in London. This cosmopolitan city matched Andrew’s background.  He lived behind Westminster Cathedral, which he visited daily.

 

It is really little wonder that Andrew over the years had the travel bug. He loved his holidays, and seems to have managed plenty of them.

 

Perhaps this interest in travel helps explain another passion: driving. He drove for a living, but he also drove for pleasure. 12 years ago he passed “The Knowledge”, London’s legendary taxi driver test, and was all set for an extension to his career as a black cab taxi driver when he sadly suffered a stroke. This stroke unfortunately put an end to all Andrew’s driving, not just taxi driving. So a disappointing and frustrating deprivation in these final years.

 

Andrew had previously taken lessons to become both a pilot of helicopters and small fixed wing aircraft. This could have led to another travel dimension to his life, but didn’t.  Still, this was a gripping if expensive hobby for a while. He also loved reading about Howard Hughes, the American multi-millionaire, who was, amongst other things, an aviator and aircraft designer.

 

Other hobbies included a love of dolphins. This led him to visit the dolphin research centre in Key West, Florida.  He passed this love of dolphins on to his daughter Maxine and organised a trip to Disney in Florida for Chris and Maxine so that they could also see the dolphins.

 

Let’s come now to that part of Andrew’s life which has been even more significant than everything mentioned so far. This was the family that he built around him, the family that he has loved so deeply and which has provided love and support for him, especially in these past 4-5 years. And here we must make special mention of the TLC and time provided by Chris and Doreen, requiring frequent commutes to London and plenty of hard graft when they got there. They gave Andrew his independence. They continued their devotion to Andrew after they fetched him from London to live in care in Hollymere House in Haslington. Over many years the family have been close even if some of this was long-distance over the phone.

 

So, going back in time, Andrew married Chris in 1982 and although they may have lived apart for many years, their marriage vows remained meaningful to both of them. He loved his daughter Maxine and the little grandson she gave him – Oscar.  Oscar has been a joy to Andrew as he  followed closely all of Oscar’s interests and achievements. He also loved Doreen’s family and was just as interested in the exploits of her children and grandchildren, and was just as keen to buy them all presents regardless of cost -. further illustrations of his generous spirit.

 

Andrew’s love of animals, his cats and the family dogs especially – should be recorded, as that is a further dimension to his loving heart.

 

Andrew was fascinated by the world and had a huge loving generous heart which reflected a loving Creator.  He knew right from wrong and lived by the highest standards of honesty and integrity. His life has slipped away from our sight, but not from God’s sight. Meanwhile, all his qualities and the memories he leaves you live on in your lives, there for you to treasure, and to enhance your lives.

 

Andrew’s ashes will be taken in due course to be interred with the ashes of his parents in the Norwegian section of Shooter’s Hill Cemetery, Eltham, London. A fitting resting place, surely, for a devoted son.

Andrew’s funeral will take place at Crewe Crematorium Chapel on Wednesday 22nd February 12.15pm.