Andy Koronkiewicz

Andy Koronkiewicz was a remarkable son, brother, father, and friend to many. There is no doubt that he lived his life to the fullest. Known to squeeze in every drop of energy into each day, Andy held a fierce love for his family and enjoyed spending time with them. Gone too soon, Andy’s zest for life and his compassion for others will be his greatest legacy.

His story begins in the year 1975, a promising time in our nation’s history. Saturday Night Live debuted on NBC, the showcase movie, Jaws, was a sensational success, and Bruce Springsteen released his album, Born to Run. Just a few weeks shy of the official end to the Vietnam War, Andrew Thomas, was born the oldest son of Jerome and Mary (Koron) Koronkiewicz on April 8th in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His birth brought them great joy.

Andy lived a typical childhood filled with many family adventures. His father worked as an accountant of Duthler Ford Trucking and his mother was a secretary for Printing Services and a child care provider at Grand Rapids Community College. With his parents working, he enjoyed being babysat by his Aunt Pam and Uncle Roger with their three children. He later shared his fair share of mischief and rivalry with his younger siblings, Thomas and Katrina. Close-knit in nature, they all enjoyed countless visits to their maternal grandparents, Nanna and Bernie’s, home. Family was very important in their early years and they also spent time visiting extended relatives; often sharing meals, playing with toys, and watching movies. He and his brother, Thomas, spent countless hours playing Atari and Nintendo. They tried to get the most up-to-date cheat codes from their friends before the dawn of the internet. The boys watched all of the movies of the time and repeated some of the best lines back and forth to each other over the years. Andy loved the camaraderie with his brother and many cousins during their developing years.

A highlight of his teenage years was a visit to his uncle Bill’s home in Frederick, Maryland in 1991. Just two years later, he traveled to Nebraska to see his first Gun N’ Roses concert. His educational years started out at North Oakview Elementary School, then Highland Hills, and Dale Middle School. Andy was a proud graduate of the Class of 1993 from Northview High School. Studious as well as ambitious, Andy set off for Grand Rapids Community College. He met Tara Helenius in 1995 while they were both working college students. Sharing many common interests, the two of them hit it off right from the start. Andy left GRCC in 1998 before transferring to Davenport University in 2000. During his years paying his way through school, Andy developed a love of drawing and painting as a stress reliever from his work and studies. Remarkably gifted, he even had one of his pieces displayed in the Grand Rapids Press! Successful and outgoing, it was no surprise that Andy was a 4.0 + student and a Dean’s List recipient. He was forever grateful to earn his Certified Public Accountant license in 2002. That same year, he and Tara joined in marriage with the excitement of planning their future together. Together they welcomed home three wonderful children; Jacob, Ethan, and Lauren.

As a father, Andy was loving and supportive. A strong provider, he worked as a CPA and savored every moment of spending time with his family. Andy introduced them to some of his favorite music, especially heavy metal and his talents as a guitarist. There was never a dull moment with Andy around. He had a vast collection of comic books, sports memorabilia, as well as an impressive movie collection. When he made time for reading, he treasured the dark novels of Stephen King. His children grew to love his favorite teams of the Detroit Lions, University of Michigan football, and the baseball games of the Detroit Tigers. His true love was music and later in life, he enjoyed attending live rock concerts with his brother at several venues around Grand Rapids, Detroit, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, and even Chicago. All in all, Andy loved being around his people. He enjoyed cracking jokes and making everyone feel comfortable in his presence. Andy taught his children to treat others with kindness and accept others for their faults as well as their goodness.

Andy was a wonderful spark of life on Earth. He had a brilliant mind and a memory of steel. Any special date or event he could recall at a moment’s notice and always went out of his way to show his appreciation for others. Described as caring with dark humor and quick wit, Andy will be deeply missed by his many special friends and loved ones. May his loved ones always look back on his memories with fondness and may the special moments live on eternally in their hearts.

Andrew Thomas Koronkiewicz of Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed away at home unexpectedly on August 7, 2021. He was born on April 8, 1975, as the first of three children. He was a graduate of Northview High School, Grand Rapids Community College, and Davenport University. He began pursuing a career as a certified public accountant in 2002. He married Tara Helenius that same year. They eventually divorced in 2020. Andrew loved spending time with his family. He was also known as an avid sports fan and enjoyed going to concerts. He is survived by his three children, Jacob, Ethan, and Lauren, his mother, Margaret, of Grand Rapids, his father and his wife, Jerome, and Carol, of Spring Lake, his sister and her husband, Katrina and Brendon McNutt, along with their two daughters, Emerald and Cora, and his brother, Thomas, of DeKalb, Illinois, and his niece, Rayana, of Grand Rapids. A memorial service for Andrew has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 17th from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm at Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, located at 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. The family wishes that, in lieu of flowers, friends and associates will consider contributing to an account set up to benefit Andrew’s children at Mercantile Bank of Michigan. Please refer to www.mercbank.com for specific bank locations where you can mail or drop off donations.