This world lost one of its biggest, warmest hearts on the morning of Aug. 20, 2024, when Jon Christopher Gooch Andel was taken from us in a tragic accident.
He was born July 4, 1967, to Rosemary (Duty) and John Andel, in Marion, Ohio, both deceased.
Chris graduated from Riverdale High School, then studied music at Otterbein University. Like any self-respecting Buckeye, he was a doggedly loyal fan of the Cleveland Browns and the Ohio State University.
To know Chris was to love him. He filled our lives with music and our homes with infectious laughter. His smile lit up our world, and his hugs warmed our souls. He was generous to a fault and always incredibly accepting of others. His love and compassion could be felt by all who were blessed enough to be in his presence. The adoration of his kids could be seen in their eyes when he would tell a story or a ridiculous joke. The musical talent that he possessed was tremendous and touched the lives of each person who had the opportunity to hear him sing and shred on his guitar.
On Feb. 29, 2000, Chris married Jennifer Hockersmith. The relationship and love that Jennifer and Chris shared was wonderfully weird and uniquely perfect. Together they had two children, Riley and Trevor. Chris had four beloved children from his younger years: April, Ian, Autumn and Olivia. He was also blessed with seven beautiful grandchildren. He was a doting father and grandfather; you could see the love in his beautiful blue eyes and hear the immense pride in his voice whenever he spoke of any of them.
Chris is survived by his wife, Jennifer; children, Riley, Trevor, April, Ian, Autumn and Olivia; sister Jenni (Fred) Snowden; brother Dave (Mandy) Hemmert; his grandchildren; step-father Sammy Waits; step-mother Colleen Andel; his step-siblings; incredibly gifted nieces and nephews; and several beloved friends.
His family will host a celebration of life 5-9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27 at the Darlington
Conservation Club. Everyone whose life he touched is welcome to attend; come prepared to share memories, stories, and of course, music.
