March 18, 1937 to April 10, 2023

Walter Joseph McAndrew “Joe”

Walter Joseph McAndrew, or “Joe”, passed away on April 10, 2023, in Vernal, Utah. He was born on March 18, 1937, in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, to Walter Bernard McAndrew and Lillian Cecilia McLean. Joe was a proud Irish American and Irish Catholic. He joined the U.S. Army in 1957 and completed his service in 1959. He then worked at Grossinger’s, an iconic resort in upstate New York that inspired the film “Dirty Dancing”, where he made lifelong friends and met many celebrities. After five years in New York, Joe moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and then to Key Largo, Florida, where he fell in love with his future wife, Lynda May Hansen. They married in 1974 and had five children together. In 1984, they moved to Dunmore/Scranton, Pennsylvania, to be closer to Joe’s siblings. He was a state correctional officer in Pennsylvania for 15 years before retiring in 2007. In 2020, he moved to Vernal, Utah, to be with Lynda and his mother-in-law, Norma Hansen. Joe was known for his sense of humor, love of reading and knowledge, and his authenticity. He was hardworking and always providing for his family. He was devoted to his five children, always wanting them to have more privilege and stability than he had. Joe is survived by his wife, Lynda McAndrew; his five children; and 19 grandchildren. Joe’s selflessness and love for his family lives on through his children, encouraging them to be their best, most authentic selves. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.W