For Frank's obituary, memorial video, links to his books and writings, and more, please go to https://frankandrews.weebly.com/

I am inspired by the amazing life of Frank Andrews, a remarkable person who has given so much love, support, encouragement, kindness, humor, brilliance and joy to the world.  Thank you, dear Frank!  When I think of you, it is with deep love. You were my academic advisor for my independent major during early years of UCSC and you encouraged me to live a meaningful and heartfelt life, filled with “yeses”; you officiated when Sylvia and I were married more than 40 years ago;  you and Jeanie always welcomed and took an interest in our lives; we treasure the many shared many meals, stories and laughter; I am grateful that we remained in contact, allowing us to grow in friendship over the last 55 years.  I miss you, dear friend. I will  re-visit and continue to learn from your ideas and practices that you shared with the universe in The Art and Practice of Loving and your most recent gem, Choosing Your Way Through Life.  
 Ron Richardson

My name is Erin Winter and I took 2 of Frank's classes at UCSC. I took personal empowerment and spiritual growth. Whenever I'm asked who my favorite teacher is I always say Frank Andrews. I took these class more than 25 years ago but  I can still hear his voice echoing words of love. His first assignment was to commit, a word he used often, to stop beating ourselves up. I cried that day because I  didnt know if I could do it. He just told me the first step was to be aware. His assignments such as keeping a time journal for every 5 minutes, telling our story at the beginning of the class, and ongoing journals felt so meaningful. He was brilliant but made you feel loved every time you saw him. I was invited into his home for weekly groups where we made commitments and followed up on them the next week. He instilled a confidence in me that has changed the direction of my life. I struggled with mental illness and his mentorship in my life guided me into the person I am today. I have been a special education teacher for 20 years l, am married, and have two beautiful children. I truly believe this would npt have been possible had I not met Frank.

Last time I saw Frank was in 2015, nearly 20 years after I took his class.  I had returned to Santa Cruz specifically to see him.  He told me he would be wrapping up his final Personal Empowerment course in the spring.  Once fully retired, he planned to focus on his upcoming book, which he really wanted to see published.

I asked him if he found himself more happy about having the extra time to write, or sad about his years teaching coming to a close.  He replied, "I operate out of a world view that says to practice gratitude for what I do have, and not spend much time thinking about what I don't."  That interaction was formative for me, and I've sought to follow suit ever since.

Without exaggerating, I could say the same thing about almost every conversation I ever had with Frank.  Practically every exchange I had with him began the unraveling of a problem I didn't even know I had and lighting the way forward.  To this day, he remains my primary mentor. 

 I am so sorry for the loss for his family and many others who loved him.  And so very, very grateful for the good fortune of stumbling upon his class in the course catalog, and for the special role Frank Andrews has played and will continue to play in my life.

A few months before Frank's passing, I happened to see him walking with Jean in our neighborhood. I stopped and asked if I could share a thought with him. I told him that I had been a student of his and that he was the one who showed me that education in a university can be education of the heart and spirit as well as the mind. Frank was kind enough some years back to offer praise on a book I wrote, and we had some fun conversations. But it was always the amazingly kind, genuine spirit that he shared in the classroom, and his willingness to chart new terrain that I will remember. What a wonderful, wonderful human.

I love you Frank. Thank you for accepting me in to your class and giving me the confidence to love every moment of my life. What a gift from God you are. And your legacy is oceanic. I still see you in my minds eye walking up campus. And your beautiful laugh.

To borrow a phrase from the Yiddish, what a Mench. I heard about Frank’s personal empowerment class at Merrill when I was an undergraduate. I had recently lost my mom and was trying to balance my grief and the panoply of neuroses it unearthed with being a student and a good person. His class was wonderful and the community he cultivated was amazing. I remember him saying at one point that chemistry was boring. It was people who fascinated him. He also strongly encouraged us to show up as our full selves. He said that people in our culture were much more likely to omit, then to commit, which as I understand it is akin to “better to ask forgiveness than permission,” at least when it comes to sharing your truth and harnessing your full authenticity in the world. We’ll miss you Frank. You lived an amazing life.  My condolences to his family and the vast network of his community and the lives he touched.

I was blessed to be a student in Frank’s personal empowerment class and to participate in the group at his house for many years. I cannot express the magnitude of light projected from the beacon of loving growth that Frank emitted. His presence on this planet has led to more harmony than any great composer could ever dream of. 

His heart must have been large enough to accommodate all of the myriad  ways that human life can show up. I walked into his class a spiky haired kid from Southern California filled with self deprecating  and image obsessed thoughts. Every time I walk out of his house now I do so knowing my worth and purpose as human doing my best to love and be loved. 

My life has now been one of answering callings, adventuring throughout the world and committing myself to what I find to be valuable contributions. I am a living testament to the loving transformation he brought to our species. 

Thank you Frank! Thank you from the bottom of my soul. 
Love always, 
Patrick

OBITUARY

Frank Clinton Andrews

May 29, 1932 – January 31, 2024

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