Andrew James Abernathy

Coming into the world on Tax Day of 1988 in Lubbock, Texas, Andrew was born to rebel against The Machine from the beginning. His life unfolded in seasons of boundless passions, each encouraged by his parents. From the beginning with Boy Scouts and Space Camp, he was on an endless pursuit of freedom.

Andy’s fearless nature knew no bounds as his interests grew in adolescence through the now-defunct Cypress Fairbanks Rodeo and Cypress Creek FFA riding bulls on Friday nights in the summer and raising pigs during the school year.

His passion for science didn’t stop with animals, with involvement from an early age in the Science Olympiad. This ultimately led to him establishing his own car electronics business, Cypress Stereo Company. His family never knew what car he’d drive home in, from a Porsche 911 to a Lamborghini.

Andy blazed his own trail up to Colorado to create a legacy of his own, merging the Mile High spirit with Texas traditions of smoked brisket and fresh-baked kolaches. His passion for cars evolved as he mastered the art of crafting custom camper vans. Adventure beckoned him from Denver to Moab, where he learned to lead solo in the traditional style of rock climbing.

Moving further westward, he spent winters snowboarding and summers scaling mountains around Lake Tahoe. Andy contributed countless hours as a carpenter with the Burning Man Build Team. He felt most at home amongst hippies, cowboys, and misfits. With a dollar to spare and words of encouragement for anyone in need, Andrew practiced his Dharmic beliefs generously. You could always expect a call from Andy to pull you out of whatever funk you were in.

In his final year, Andrew decided that everyone deserved to know the secret to a perfect Texas brisket launching his business, Roslin BBQ Ministry. He never did things halfway and somewhat jokingly talked about starting a barbecue cult down in Mexico.

Andrew is survived by his parents—Steven and Angela Abernathy of Hockley, TX; his siblings—Zachary Abernathy and wife Ashley of Cypress, TX, with their children Bree, Brantley, and Barrett; Allison Sculley and husband Jonathan of Houston, TX, with their sons Matthew and Michael; and William Abernathy of South Lake Tahoe, CA—as well as his grandmother, Helen Pryor of Waco, TX. He also leaves behind countless aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

“No flowers, please. Instead, spend your most precious asset, your time, calling, visiting or doing and act of kindness for someone else, because that’s what Andy would have done.”

In Andrew’s memory, please enjoy this poem written by his brother, William, and honor his kind spirit by helping someone in need:

Always the scientist, livin life as an experiment

From Boy Scouts to Space Camp lookin for where you were meant

You raised pigs and rescued dogs as a future farmer

You were the cotton-mouthed water rattler charmer

Got thrown off bulls and once into a pond by a llama

But even if you fell, you always got up to learn and teach your dharma

With a mind somewhere between Pinker and Thompson

You met wild Mexican bushmen while you blazed your trail

You were feared as the flamingo man in Texas jail

But you’d give the shirt off your back or give your last dime posting another’s bail

I guess in the end you figured the wind was favorable to set sail

You were a mountain goat, a helluva climber

Not to mention a well-versed hitchhiker and writer

And I don’t know of a tougher fighter

You knew chemistry, physics, biology, and nutrition

Defeated every roadblock and challenge like a man on a mission

You had a Tibetan’s sense of spirituality with a marked lack of superstition

Even so, whatever comes next,

I know once God tastes your brisket kolaches, he’ll grant you admission

You were always just trying to find your American Dream

But for you gold was the curd, and people’s laughter the cream

Comedy was your nature, it was encoded in your genes

From Don Andy to Tanner, you always made us laugh and scream

After acting, you were bound to be the next O’Neal or Carlin, you just ran out of steam

In the end,

You wrote your own story and stood up to the test

From Sonora to the Sierras you lived your life fearless

Now after decades on the run it’s finally time to rest

You’ll always be my brother, so dearly missed