Rex L Andrea's Obituary
Rex Andrea was born in Phoenix Arizona to parents Virginia Andrea and Rex Andrea, Senior. Rex had a happy childhood and completed grammar, middle and high school in Phoenix.
Rex enlisted in the Army in 1965. He was selected for parachute jump school after basic training and trained at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, after which he was transferred to the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam.
Upon completion of training at Fort Bragg, Rex was assigned to a ground combat unit until he was wounded in action. He was awarded several awards, including the Combat Infantryman Badge, the National Defense Service Medal, the Parachutist Badge, the Vietnam Service medal, the Vietnam Campaign medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and a Purple Heart for wounds received in service to his country.
When he returned from Vietnam, he met Linda Barns, and his beloved daughter Jennifer was born in 1970.
Rex struggled after returning from Vietnam, as was the case for many returning veterans of the Vietnam era. As he emerged from that dark place, Rex worked with the Vietnam Veterans Association, counseled adolescents in recovery at the Phoenix Academy, a residential school and treatment center. He furthered his education over the years and obtained several certification courses during this time. Rex received a BS in Human Services in 2001. He lived in a rural area east of San Diego County and fostered an interest in nature photography, eventually becoming a professional photographer. While photographing a wedding, he met his wife, Jan. The two dated several months before he proposed. Jan kept him waiting a bit for a positive reply, about 18 years to be exact.
Rex and Jan moved to Half Moon Bay, in the San Francisco Bay area, in 1999. There, Rex worked for the County of San Mateo in several roles including, Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation, Center for Homelessness, including shelter services. When he retired, Rex served as an Emergency Response Coordinator, responsible for rehousing people after large events such as earthquakes, fires, or floods. He also coordinated several Stand Down events for the homeless, including homeless veterans. These events provided information on resources, hot showers, and clean clothes.
Rex had several hobbies including hiking, nature photography, fly fishing, camping, bird watching, poetry, and astronomy. He rode his Harley Davidson Motorcycle across the county to Sturgis South Dakota in 2010. Rex adored his pet cockatiels from the time he was given one by a friend who gave it up for adoption. Pavarotti, or “Pav” as he is affectionately known is also grieving Rex’s passing.
Rex and Jan retired at about the same time in 2014 and have enjoyed shared interests in photography and travel. They took advantage of their time together by taking numerous camping trips around the country. International travel became an interest, and they camped in Baha Mexico, throughout our beautiful state of California, and Hawaii. They cruised to Alaska, the Caribbean, and both coasts of Mexico. Rex also continued to be involved in emergency planning volunteering for the Canada Cove Organized Plan for Emergencies (COPE).
Rex suffered a heart attack on June 18, 2023, and died at home several days later, on July 4, 2023; ironically, the same date he was wounded in Vietnam. Although he had been in increasingly poor heath over the past several years, Rex’s death was sudden.
He is survived by his wife, Jan, his daughter, Jenn, son-in-law, Dr. Scott Marquis, his granddaughters, Maya and Livia, his stepdaughter, Jenny Ogar, her husband Ian Appleyard, and step grandchildren Ben and Analisa. Also surviving are Rex’s cousins Kathy Duffy, Patrick Duffy, and Barbara Constantino, as well as many friends, and co-workers. He is pre-deceased by his parents Virginia and Rex Andrea, Sr, stepbrother, Raymond Constantino, and his Aunt Stella Duffy.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mickaboo.org (Companion Bird Rescue), the Veterans of Foreign Wars, or Tunnels to Towers Foundation.
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