Andrew Rambow

A creative soul, Andy Rambow was a natural when it came to being a jokester, and with his great sense of humor, he often went out of his way to bring laughter to those around him. Although he possessed a quiet shyness, it quickly faded as he got to know someone. Andy had his share of struggles, but through his often reflective nature and discerning spirit, he was on his way to finding his dreams for the future. While some are given what seems to be a multitude of days to live, love, work, and play, some are taken much too soon from love’s embrace for reasons we struggle to understand. Although Andy’s days were few in comparison, his memory lives on in the hearts of a loving family and friends.

The decade of the 1990s was indeed a turning point in the U.S. Technological advances were being realized in every facet of everyday life from the confines of offices to the toys children played with. While the tragedy at Columbine High School weighed heavily on the hearts of all in 1999, Osama bin Laden continued to be the FBI’s most wanted. Pokemon was all the rage while the sounds of TLC, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera hit the charts. In 1999, as the world began preparing for the new millennium, the family of Andrew Michael Rambow anxiously awaited his arrival and on December 21, 1999, they happily welcomed him into their arms at Bronson Hospital.

Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Andy grew up in Vicksburg where he was lovingly raised by his mother, Melinda, and Grandparents Mark and Pamela. Andy was a bundle of joy from the beginning and it was clear to see how content, loved, and happy he was. He grew into a happy kid who absolutely loved swimming and being outdoors at every opportunity. A typical young boy, Andy enjoyed many adventures shared alongside friends during his youth. He especially loved to find and play with frogs, and was known to stow them away in his underpants, even after being told to let them go. When Andy was ten years old his little sister, Alexys arrived, and he was ever the proud big brother. Andy loved his sister, and even though he endlessly teased her like most big brothers do, he looked out for her in many ways.

Andy attended Sunset Elementary School before moving on to attend Vicksburg middle and high school. As he grew older he began playing football, but during these years he also developed and discovered his creative side. He loved drawing which brought out his artistic abilities, and his talent for writing stories was a wonderful way in which Andy expressed himself. He also wrote fiction and rap lyrics.

Being outdoors and enjoying the wide open spaces continued to be Andy’s favorite place to be. He loved his skateboard and spent hours outside practicing tricks and riding. One of his best friends was his dog, Dude. He was always by Andy’s side and whenever Andy would hop on his skateboard, Dude was right there, pulling Andy all over. Like many teens, Andy had a signature hair style and he’d spend hours making his hair look good. His family always teased that he took as long as any girl to get ready, and thank goodness he didn’t take to wearing makeup or he would never have been anywhere on time!

School was always a struggle for Andy until he entered the WAY program, an alternative to traditional high school. Through WAY, Andy was able to be schooled at home through this online program. Although he needed to manage his time well and it took perseverance to do so, Andy was doing good in his studies and was well on his way in earning the credits he needed to graduate.

Andy had a quiet, almost reserved shyness about him that soon diminished once he came to know someone. He was a big clown, and with a sense of humor all his own, Andy loved brightening the days of others with unending laughter. This was especially true for Andy when he began his relationship with his girlfriend, Hunter. Together they found much contentment, especially as they both struggled with depression. Andy and Hunter found strength in one another. They could talk things through, and continued to experience healing. There was much to love and admire about Andy. His smile was always a welcome sight, and his sparkling blue eyes conveyed his excitement for life.

Sadly and tragically, on Thursday, in the early morning hours of October 15, 2015, Andy and Hunter were riding in a car that was involved in a car accident where they each died as a result. A memorial gathering is being held on Sunday October 25th at 2:00 p.m. at the Vicksburg Pavilion in the Historic District.

Andy is survived by his mother and step-dad, Melinda Rambow and Dennis Pumfrey; his sister, Alexys Rambow-Pumfrey; his maternal grandparents, Mark and Pamela Rambow; paternal grandmother, Bobbie Pumfrey; his great maternal grandparents, Joyce and Richard Stevenson; aunts, Amanda (Ron) Vaughn, Melisa (Mike) Leonard and Maryann (Kevin) Zeller; cousins, Alex, Brooke, Alisha, Kyllie, Cody, Keirstin and Ronnie; his beloved dog, Dude; and many other relatives and friends. Please visit Andy’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a favorite memory and sign his online guestbook. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to https://www.gofundme.com/bu6h9tc8 to go toward final arrangements.