Andrew John Schaaf

Andrew John Hopson Schaaf, 39 years old was born January 11, 1979 in Big Bear Lake, California He is survived by his mother, Sherie Schaaf; cousin Damien Niemeier (9); son Andrew Braiden Schaaf (17) and his mother Chelsea, son Edward Graham Schaaf Carlisle (11) and his mother Lacey; sisters Stanci Inkster and Ashley Koeneke (pronounced ken-uh-key); father John Hopson; uncle Gary Schaaf and his wife Sherri and their children Ashley, Kelsey and Finley Charron. Andrew passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in the early morning hours of Tuesday March 27, 2018. We can have peace knowing he is at home with God our Father and has no more pain or fear or worry. Andrew's faith was unconventional but very deep and he loved the Lord. Andrew was a very strong-willed individual with a unique way of looking at the world and he loved his family so much, his two sons Braiden and Graham, his cousin Damien and mom Sherie. He also was a loyal and loving friend and brother and will be missed by all who loved him, but he wouldn't want you being sad, he would want you to embrace life and live it to the fullest and appreciate the people you love. He is not gone just waiting for us to be reunited in the future. Andrew grew up in Tulare and attended Tulare Western High School and made friends that lasted his lifetime. He loved to spend time in Three Rivers with his friends camping and swimming and having adventures that his mom didn't need to know about. He loved cars, driving them as well as working on them. Andrew played baseball for several years and enjoyed teaching his cousin Damien some of the finer points of the game. He also liked mixed martial arts and followed the careers of a few of the fighters. Andrew enjoyed all kinds of music and even though he had lost quite a bit of his sight still loved watching movies. Andrew worked in several different industries fast food restaurants, security guard, convenience store clerk, auto mechanic and he also worked a season at Sierra Summit with one of his best friends James and loved it thoroughly and learned to snowboard while working there. Andrew moved to Oklahoma to get to know his father and sisters and while living there he had two sons, Braiden and Graham whom he loved with all his heart. While in Oklahoma he enjoyed living in the country with no close neighbors and loved anything to do with the lake, boating and camping. When Andrew moved back to Tulare he worked for Federal Express until his health deteriorated to the point he couldn't work anymore but he always wanted to recover enough to go back to work. Andrew also liked to cook and experiment with flavors and some of his happiest afternoons were spent grilling while listening to music and teaching his techniques to Damien. He and Damien spent a lot of time together riding bikes and exploring the neighborhood. They also worked on chores together and it was always interesting to have a partially blind man and a 9 year old boy doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Andrew had several close friends that he loved to spend time with, some he saw often some not so much but he always loved and respected them. They are John Justin Clark, James Bonds, Keith & Devin Morse and their girls, and Crystal & Charles Boling.

Andrew John Schaaf

January 11, 1979 - March 27, 2018