Andy Roddick

September 25, 1938 ~ February 16, 2023

‘Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day’

Andrew William ‘Andy’ Roddick, beloved husband of Patricia, passed away at St. Joseph’s Home – Carmel Hospice in Medicine Hat on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at the age of 84 years. Along with Pat, Andy is survived by their son, Drew (Della); grandson, Grayson; brother, Hugh (Diana) Roddick and their family; sister, Nancy (John) Francis and their family as well as his pets, Teddy and Bismarck. He was predeceased by his parents, Bill and Audrey Roddick. Andy left home as a teenager (because of an abusive father) and hitchhiked across Canada. Near Medicine Hat, he was offered a ride and then a job. Andy worked on a ranch and also a job on the farm of Tom and Dick Bassett. While employed at Lauder’s Cycle, he learned how to repair bicycles. One of Andy’s friends offered to introduce him to a boarder living with her mother – a gal named Patricia, who recently moved to Medicine Hat to work in the hospital laboratory. They met, dated, he met her loving and caring parents and then they were married. Later, their son, Drew, was born. Andy had various jobs driving truck. He tried driving cross country in a big rig and did not like it as it was too much time on the road and not enough time at home. He also hauled clay from the Elkwater area into the Brick and Tile and was home every night. Then came the offer from Revelstoke Concrete (now Inland Concrete) which was within the city and the surrounding area. Pat continued working within the hospital laboratory and retired after 35 years. A year later, Andy also retired after working for 27 years. Because his job took him to the local Hutterite colonies, Andy and Pat became friends with both Spring Creek and Elkwater colonies. When Andy’s sister and husband visited from Ottawa, they both were welcomed. Andy helped butcher a flock of geese that were prepared for freezing and later eating. They also attended several wedding shivarees. Andy’s hobbies varied. He enjoyed woodworking and once apprenticed as a finishing carpenter. He took classes in scuba diving at an indoor pool. Trips on long weekends to Waterton followed and he bought a dry suit for the cold water. But the best were the three trips to Hawaii. The water was warm and Andy said the sound of whales from under the water was not to be missed. On one of the trips, he went pig hunting in Maui. The guide, Troy, led him into the countryside through marijuana patches and his dogs found the pigs. Once attacked, the dogs (perhaps they were munching on the crops) were gored but they did get the pig. Andy stayed with the dog while Troy went down to get help carrying the dog to the vet. Help returned, and the dog and the pig were hauled out (dog had 300 stitches and the pig was proudly displayed in a photo). With his friendship with Alf Baldwin, Andy became interested in black powder shooting. They had started with ‘modern’ weaponry but this presented more of a challenge. Together they worked with others to find land and then the help to construct the range just outside the city. Long weekends had competitions for shooters within Alberta and also Montana. Bullhook Bottoms in Havre was the US May long weekend. The ‘Quigley’ shoot near Yellowstone had shooters from around the world. The shoot in Medicine Hat was the long weekend in May. For these events, some of the participants dressed appropriately, some wore buckskins and Andy had a cavalry sergeants uniform. Rain did not deter them. Buckskins were not that warm, his wool pants and jacket might have been wet but he was still warm. Camping was available at all ranges – tents, pull along trailers and beautiful motorhomes. Once or twice there was a teepee pitched. Andy and Pat preferred the tinteepees in town (a local motel with all the amenities). In 2001, Andy had his first heart attack; luckily it happened in the Emergency Department. His dogs, Bear and Brutus enjoyed his company on their walks by the river. Andy wasn’t so lucky with the second attack in 2014 as his energy level dropped considerably. As time passed by, their ages creeped up and Andy became more of a homebody and needed more help. Their son, Drew, returned from Calgary to offer assistance along with Home Care but the time came when it was not enough. Andy spent the last year at River Ridge and in his final days, was transferred to St. Joseph’s Home. Andy will be silently remembered by family and friends without the proceedings of a formal funeral service. (Condolences may be expressed by visiting our website at www.cooksouthland.com) Honoured to serve the family is Cook Southland Funeral Chapel, Crematorium & Reception Facility, 901 – 13 Street S.W., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 4V4. Telephone 403-527-6455

• Date : 2023-02-16
• Location : Medicine Hat, Alberta

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