Bruce J. Andrews of Escanaba, formerly of Cornell, passed away early Wednesday morning, March 22, 2023 at Bishop Noa Home. Bruce was born and raised in Hermansville, MI. He enjoyed growing up on the family farm with his parents, Sidney and Sophia, along with his sister Helen, and brother John. After graduating from Powers/Spaulding High School in 1945, Bruce tried some different jobs, then attended Michigan Tech University studying engineering for 1 1/2 years. He decided instead of engineering he wanted to follow in his dad and Uncle Jack’s footsteps and join the DNR as a conservation officer. Bruce started his career with the DNR as a Towerman.

To gain experience, Bruce joined the Army in 1953 to become a military policeman, where he served at Fort Leonard until his honorable discharge in 1955. He took the class and passed to become a Conservation Officer in 1956. He worked as a C.O. in Houghton/ Hancock, Newberry, Munising and the Soo. He transferred to the head office in Lansing for a number years doing a variety of jobs, including undercover work to break a large poaching operation in the Detroit area. He finished his 33-year career as District Supervisor in Pontiac Lake, MI. Bruce loved his job. He met and became friends with many people, some becoming lifelong friends. He had many adventures while working with the DNR, such as going to Canada in 1957 to trap and return pine martens to the Upper Peninsula, attending sport shows to promote Michigan resources, and was the arresting officer in the first Indian fishing case in Michigan.

Bruce retired from the DNR in 1984, where he and his wife Stella relocated back to their hometown area residing in Cornell until 2019. Bruce became involved in each community his family lived in. In Munising, he started his membership in the Lions Club. He was an active member serving has President in each town where he lived until 2019. He also served on the committee to bring a golf club to Munising. Bruce loved track and field, being a pole vaulter himself. Seeing the need for a new track in Munising, he organized people and fundraiser to make that happen. In the Soo, he was on the 1st committee of the 1-500 race which just celebrated its 54th running. While working at the head office in Lansing, Bruce became heavily involved in the union representing the state employees. Upon retirement Bruce didn’t slow down.

Besides being President of the Escanaba Lions Club, he became Governor for the district in 1990-91. He also joined the Hermansville branch of the American Legion where his father had also been a member. He became Post Commander, just like his dad. He was very instrumental in organizing the “Avenue of Flags” at the Hermansville Cemetery in 1992. He served on the Board of the U.P. State Credit Union, often serving as President. He became a member of the ILX Historical Museum in Hermansville where he served on the board for 8 years. He was a member of Michigan State Employee Retirees Association (MISERA), where he became President, and remained in the position until he was 90. He fought to improve the benefits for older retirees, and he held many workshops for the newly retired. If any retiree had a question, they could and would call Bruce.

He helped two widows of Conservation Officers receive their correct pensions and benefits. In between all of his civic duties, Bruce and Stella traveled around the country and Canada, often with Stella’s sister Pat and her husband Ray Menard. They had many adventures from fishing off of Vancouver B.C. to celebrating Mardi Gras in Galveston. Bruce loved seeing new places and finding new and interesting restaurants. The man loved good food. Bruce also enjoyed spending time with his grown children and their families. He loved taking his grandsons fishing on his boat, teaching them all he knew about fishing and hunting. He was always interested in his grandson’s lives. He attended school and sporting events. He loved watching them play football, hockey, soccer, track and field, and band concerts. He kept up with their lives and was always ready with a word or two of advice. Bruce led a full life for 95 years. Moving into Bishop Noa Home and living there during the COVID shut down was a huge adjustment for Bruce, but when restrictions lifted, he began attending all the social events.

He loved playing cards, Bingo, listening to the musical entertainment that performed, and competing in best recipes, where he won 1st place and $25 for his Bean soup recipe. He will be dearly missed by his wife of 70 years, Stella (Polmateer) Andrews; his children, Steve Andrews (father of Sara and Samantha), Sid (Betty) Andrews, Julie Andrews, and Michael (Karine) Andrews; grandsons, Ben (Lauren), Steven (Carolyn), Samm, Timm (Ashley) and Macky; great grandchildren, Isabella, Easton, Bauer, Rowan and Lexi; brother, John; sister-in-law, Maryann; along with many nieces and nephews. Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, granddaughters, Sidney and Sophia Andrews; sister, Helen and her husband, Ray Wells; son in law, Robert Lewis; his in laws, Ted and Ruth Polmateer; sister in laws, Lorraine (Robert Vannburg), Shirley (Jack Keefe), Pat (Ray Menard), and Jean (Bucky Derouin). The family would like to thank the Bishop Noa Home staff for their kindness and excellent care of Bruce. The care was not hindered by the additional hurdles of the COVID pandemic.

The U.P. Health System Home Care & Hospice staff provided an extra layer of comfort care that allowed Bruce to remain active and engaged in life. We cannot express enough gratitude to all who took care of Bruce. Visitation will be on Saturday, April 15th beginning at 10 a.m. at Crawford Funeral Home, 302 S. 13th St., Escanba. Military honors will take place at 11:45 a.m. with the funeral service to follow at noon with Rev. John Shiverski officiating. Burial will take place in Holy Cross Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may be directed to Stella Andrews, c/o West Highland Apartments, 2701 1st Ave S., Escanaba, MI 49829. A message of condolence may be shared with the Andrews family by visiting www. crawfordfuneralhomes.net. The Crawford Funeral Homes are assisting the family.