Andrew Himley

Andrew S. Himley, 78, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones at his home in Morristown, Arizona on Saturday, November 5th, 2022.



Andy was born at home in Crocus, North Dakota, on April 5th, 1944, to Alvin and Stella (Schroeder) Himley. He was the third of four siblings and the most mischievous and daring of the family's children. He had a talent for building and fixing things at a young age, even rebuilding his first car engine in his teens.



He married the love of his life, favorite dance partner, and as he would say "his better half", Joan Amoth, on May 4th, 1963, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Moscow Township, North Dakota. Their romance lasted all 59 years and was blessed with what Andy considered his proudest accomplishment, his three children, two grandchildren, and three great grandchildren with a fourth on the way in December.



Andy was a successful entrepreneur. He started his career in the door-to-door selling of pots and pans, and ended up owning cookware businesses in Fargo, North Dakota, Boise, Idaho, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He went on to purchase and grow an automotive aftermarket business in Minneapolis, Minnesota, selling products throughout the United States. His love of construction and architecture led him to start businesses in home building and land development in Minnesota and Arizona. He had great success in all endeavors due to his work hard - play hard lifestyle, always be innovating mentality, and the mutual appreciation and respect he had with his employees.



Known for his great sense of humor, his infectious smile, and his kind and compassionate spirit, Andy loved spending time with family, his sweet Shih Tzu, Bentley, and a wealth of close friends. Dear friends and family visited often because of his warmth, love of people and life. He brought a bounty of passion and fun to everything he did with his larger-than-life personality, and his remarkable ability to connect, making friends wherever he went.



He was the life of the party, entertaining people for hours with stories about being broke in Boise, his adventures cruising the Mississippi River, or four wheeling across Arizona.



Andy loved a good adventure, restoring classic cars, Sunday football (Go Vikings and Cardinals!) happy hour(s) with friends, boxing (especially reruns of The GOAT - Muhammad Ali), good ole country music, the Statler Brothers, and songs by the Rat Pack. And for an off-beat talent, Andy was right-handed but had the uncanny ability to beat most people playing pool one-handed, with his left hand.



He had a positive can-do attitude, and stubbornly strong will. Andy survived five heart attacks and made it through a multitude of health problems due to his fighting spirit. His heart and kidneys of this world may have failed him, but we take comfort in knowing that he is now at peace surrounded by light and enveloped by the love of his parents, sister Beverly (Ron) Swartz, brother Lee (Geraldine) Himley, nephew Aaron Swartz, and best canine companions (Fritz, Tiger, Saki, and Bella) who passed before him. He is survived by his loving wife Joan, two sons Randy and Russ (Angie), daughter Leslie, two grandchildren, three (soon to be four) great grandchildren, Brother Roger (Sharon), and fur baby Bentley. In addition, he was Uncle Andy to many who have stories to tell of his shenanigans fun-loving nature, and great nicknames.



In typical fashion, Andy left us with a wonderful story to tell about his last days in his earthly home that gives us hope and left us with a good laugh. In the words of one of his favorite artists, Frank Sinatra - he did it his way.



The family is forever grateful to Hospice of the Valley for their invaluable support in his last weeks and to Wickenburg Funeral Home for their services.



In lieu of a traditional memorial service, Andy has requested to "have a big party" with an Open House Reception and Remembrance Ceremony which will take place in Arizona in January 2023. Details to follow.



In lieu of flowers, the family requests you share your favorite memories and/or photos of Andy by uploading them to https://everloved.com/memorial/andrew-himley/ or by emailing to [email protected].