Andrew Martin Bednarczyk, Jr.

Andrew ‘Andy’ M. Bednarczyk, aged 86, passed to be with his Savior at 4am on July 18th, 2024. He died peacefully with family by his side at The Waters of Eden Prairie.

Andy grew up in North Minneapolis. Throughout his childhood, he worked at his parents’ A&B variety store located at Emerson and Lowry. He attended St. Anne Catholic Grade School and graduated from DeLaSalle High School in 1956. After graduating high school, Andy enlisted in the Army with overseas deployment to Korea. After his honorable discharge, he returned home and married Patricia ‘Pat’ Hoepfer at St. Anne Catholic Church in 1960. They first lived in North Minneapolis; soon after, however, they decided on the suburbs to raise their family and moved to Brooklyn Center, living there for 17 years and raising their two children, Kimberly and Timothy, while attending St. Alphonsus Catholic Church.

Early in their marriage, Andy began his lifelong career with UPS. It was the perfect fit for him. He proudly started out delivering packages but quickly moved up within the company, eventually becoming a Loss Prevention Manager. Throughout the final ten years of his career, UPS moved him to many locations, including Salt Lake City, UT; Irvine, CA; Nashville, TN; and even Japan for one year helping to establish international operations for the company.

After 33 years with UPS, Andy was able to retire in 1993. But prior in 1977, he and Pat had bought a lovely little cabin on Child Lake near Hackensack. The family always enjoyed spending time “up north”. With the kids fully grown and out of the nest upon his retirement, he and Pat tried the “snowbird” lifestyle, splitting time between Child Lake and their other home at the time in Venice, FL. After seven years, they decided they were not the snowbird type—their hearts remained in northern MN. They built a beautiful year-round lake home in Walker, overlooking Walker Bay, and enjoyed 20 wonderful years there.

Andy became very involved in the Walker community, participating in Meals on Wheels, the Red Kettle Drives at Christmas, Adult Day Services, and the Boys and Girls Club. He also joined the Walker Rotary and served as President in 2004/2005. He enjoyed the Rotary very much, especially its yearly Rose Sale and program opportunity to host an exchange student from Brazil. Andy was also an active member of St. Agnus Catholic Church, volunteering and contributing there in many ways, even reaching the rank of Fourth Degree Knight. Andy truly loved the Walker community and the many friends he made there. He would frequently start his days meeting up with the Coots, a morning coffee group he established many years back that still regularly meets in town to this day.

When his health began to fail, it was no longer possible for him to stay in Walker. He and Pat moved to The Waters of Eden Prairie to be closer to family in the Twin Cities area. He lived there nearly 5 years, occasionally getting the chance for a little visit to Walker, his happy place. Andy is survived by his wife of 63 years Patricia (Hoepfer), daughter Kim (Craig) Carlander, grandsons J. Andrew Carlander and Matthew Bednarczyk, daughter-in-law Denise (Richardson) Bednarczyk, brother Peter (Joan) Bednarczyk, sisters Bette (Avati) and Theresa (Jerry) Neises, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Andy is preceded in death by his son Timothy, infant daughter Pamela, infant son Joseph, parents Andrew and Elizabeth (Fischer) Bednarczyk, brother Michael Bednarczyk, sister Rita Bednarczyk, and brother-in-law Robert Avati.

The mass and celebration of Andy’s life will take place on Saturday, August 3rd at 11am (visitation from 10am) at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Walker, MN. Please send memorials to Moto Hope Mission at www.motohopemission.org  Inurnment will take place in Ft. Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis on Thursday, August 15th, at 10:45 a.m. with full military honors.

Andy’s care has been entrusted to the Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker, MN.  Online condolences for the family may be given at www.northernpeace.com

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