On July 7, Irving (“Andy”) Andrusia, 104, of Silver Spring, passed away peacefully in his home. He is survived by sons David of Chevy Chase and Matthew (Nellie) of Falls Church. He was predeceased by his first wife of 51 years, Shirley, and his second wife, the former Libby Blatt. He was also predeceased by brothers Albert Andrusia and Leon Andrusia, and sister Fannie Goldstein.
Andy grew up in the Park View section of Washington, D.C.; graduated from McKinley Tech; and attended Benjamin Franklin and Catholic Universities. While a student, he served as the Washington correspondent for Downbeat magazine. During World War II, he served as a senior machinist at the Navy Yard, then moved to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities as a string bass player in orchestras and movie studio sessions. After marrying Shirley, he returned to Washington. He played for local bands, including at many high-profile White House functions. To support his family, he joined Vitro Laboratories as a logistics engineer. Andy retired after 25 years and remained active as a musician, gardener and frequent writer of letters to the editor of The Washington Post.
