Stories
-Josh Rechtien
When Andy passed away, a great void was left in my heart that I didn’t see being filled. He was my best friend. He helped shape me into the man I am today. He gave me the confidence to be myself, he taught me not to care about what others might think of me. He focused me on self-improvement both physically and mentally by exposing me to biking and other physical exercise. He was the motivating factor behind me joining Sigma Pi. He pushed me hard through the years and would not give up on me or let me quit. It was inspiring to see him push himself. Andy supported me through many tough times over the years such as my frustration with my job search, and the death of a family member. Most important is Andy loved and accepted me for who I am, never caring about my weaknesses or strengths. His only concern was that I was happy with life.
The last time I saw him was over the fourth of July 2003. I traveled to Eau Claire to party with him and to celebrate his success and share good times. It was one of the best times of my life. It’s a great memory and I will always cherish it.
When Andy died I thought I had lost that support and friendship forever. I may have lost a best friend, but I gained three more as I grew in my friendship with the Vidal’s. They used to be just Andy’s family, the Vidal’s. But as we shared our grief and comforted each other we became quite close. They mean so much to me. Andy’s love lives on through all of us.
-Brian Carroll
I have several stories about Andy, but one that really
shows the kind of brother Andy was is a story when my car broke down in
STL one fateful fall Sunday afternoon back in '99. After spending a
completely horrible day at Six Flags with my girlfriend at the time,
sweating like a pig, getting sick after several rides, and on top of
that having constant arguments with my girlfriend, I decided to make my
way back to good ol' Rolla, MO. As my [world renowned] luck would have
it, my radiator busted before I even made it to I-44, and on a Sunday I
had no hope of getting my car repaired in time to make it to my Monday
classes. Tired, despaired, smelling like the bottom of a 206 E 12th
St. trash can after a party clean-up, and waiting over an hour for the
tow truck company to haul away my wonderful vehicle (Neon), I decided to
give Andy a call mostly just to shoot the breeze and to mute out the
sounds coming my [then] girlfriend. Without even asking, or even
considering the possibility, Andy offered to make the 1:30 hr drive pick
us up and drive us back to Rolla. Just a great example of selflessness
and brotherhood, and in retrospect, the only thing that could have made
that moment more perfect would have if my girlfriend would have hung
back in STL. This is one of my best memories of Andy.
I know wherever Andy is, he's smiling down on us with his typical silly
grin
Send your Tax-Deductible Donation to:
Alpha Iota Educational Foundation
Andrew Vidal Memorial Scholarship
c/o Craig Wakeman
6357 Brockway
Shawnee, KS 66226-3723
(913)441-0723
email: cwakeman@msm.umr.edu