Andrew J. Santella, of Vero Beach, Florida, died on Sunday, October 30, 2016, with his family by his bedside. A loving father, grandfather and husband, he was 86.

Born to Joseph and Fanny Santella on July 27, 1930 in Norwalk, Connecticut, Andrew graduated from Norwalk High School in 1948 and received his Associates Degree in Building Construction from Wentworth in 1951. He served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant from 1951 until 1954, including a 13 month stint in Korea. He married Tina Calzolari in 1953, and they were together for 63 years. Andrew and Tina spent much of their married life in Norwalk, and retired to East Boothbay, Maine in 1990, "snowbirding" in Vero Beach. They relocated to Florida full-time in 2004.

Andrew worked almost his entire career at SMS Architects in New Canaan, Connecticut, where he rose from office boy to firm Principal, overseeing SMS's contract administration activities. He retired from SMS in 1990 after 35 years. While working at SMS, he designed and built two houses in Norwalk where his family resided.

Andrew was an active member of the Lion's Club, where he was frequently acknowledged for his service and received "Lifetime Member" recognition. He was also an active member of the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Vero Beach. He loved automobiles, and was extremely adept at fixing carsand just about anything else.

Andrew is survived by his wife Tina; his son Christopher and daughter-in-law Deidre; two granddaughters, Cassidy and Annabel; and a brother (Dennis) and sister (Connie DiScala).