Michael J. McAndrews

Michael J. McAndrews, 73, beloved husband of Diane (RisCassi) McAndrews of West Hartford, died Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at Hartford Hospital. Born in San Diego, CA, the son of the late Michael Joseph and Lillian (Johnson) McAndrews, he was raised in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles. He attended Phineas Banning Senior High School and Harbor Junior College. Mike proudly served in the United States Marine Corps and followed in his father’s footsteps becoming a police officer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 20 years, retiring as a Lieutenant. He worked a variety of assignments at all ranks, including the jail, patrol, recruit training, major crimes investigations, and undercover vice operations. While working as a police officer, he went back to school and earned a degree in English from Cal State LA and a Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School. He was admitted into practice in 1988. Mike joined the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and subsequently opened a private practice, McAndrews and Hand, in La Jolla, CA. Mike moved to Connecticut in 1991 and later opened the private practice of McAndrews and Lefebvre where his primary focus was representing police officers throughout Connecticut. Licensed to practice law in CA, VA, DC, and CT, Mike also traveled throughout the country to provide training on officer survival. He was passionate about officer survival and his mentoring and coaching impacted many people. Mike was also an adjunct instructor at the University of Connecticut School of Law for many years. In addition to his professional pursuits, Mike participated in the Police Olympics and completed many marathons, including the Death Valley relay marathon. He was a gifted story teller, speaker and teacher. He loved reading and writing, but he was most proud of his family and their accomplishments. Besides his wife of 35 years, he is survived by his two children, Julianne (McAndrews) Cline and her husband John of Mountain View, CA; Joseph McAndrews, a Naval Submarine Officer stationed in Japan; his sister Patricia Milburn and her husband Mark of Murrieta, CA; and several nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be Wednesday, March 27 from 4-8 p.m. at the Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, March 28 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Peter Claver Church, 47 Pleasant St. West Hartford. Burial with military honors will follow in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Convent of Divine Love, Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, 2212 Green Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130-3179 or to the Sheriff’s Relief Association, “Mike McAndrews Fund," 11515 Colima Rd., Whittier, CA 90604 (monies will be earmarked to erect a building for officer survival training in Mike’s name). Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com.