REI board member William Andrew “Andy” Weeks, Jr. passed away on November 4, 2019 due to complications following a stem-cell transplant for leukemia.
Andy was born on March 27, 1950 in Rutherfordton, NC to William Andrew Weeks, Sr. and Mary Lou Merck. He grew up in Morehead City, NC. He studied Business/Accounting at North Carolina State University and graduated in 1972. He then moved to Blacksburg, Virginia to help with a nonprofit at Virginia Tech. There, he met his first and life-long love, Maryanna Jenkins. They were married in Blacksburg on December 22, 1973.
In 1997 he moved to Colorado Springs, CO where he served as Chief Financial Officer for a nonprofit until 2014.
In 2011 Andy was invited to become a REI board member. He was the chair of the finance committee for most of his eight years on the board. He also served as board chairman and vice chairman. Andy was passionate about building people and growing businesses across the world. He helped secure grants for REI and represented REI’s interests to other organizations.
He took his board responsibilities seriously and was always a good source of wisdom and counsel. REI President Emeritus, Roderick Beidler, described him as someone with a steady hand who would always say, “I’ve got your back” in challenging times. Truly Andy helped the organization thrive.
In retirement he fully enjoyed his five precious grandchildren Kaiya, Mycah, Eden, Judah and Kamila. He especially enjoyed reading, skiing and learning various investment strategies.
Though Andy was an accountant by training and good with numbers and organizations, he was far better with people. He read voraciously and recalled details quickly. A beloved brother, son, husband, father, grandfather, friend, he will be remembered for his wisdom, as one who spoke truth, but with kindness, who cared more about a person’s dignity than about winning an argument. He was a leader who used his influence to care for those he led. For them and for others he opened doors of opportunity that unlocked their gifts and abilities so they could soar. Because of his wisdom and knowledge Andy was sought out by many. His smile and distinctive infectious laugh always brightened up a room. He will be greatly missed.
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