Andrew Louis Padula

Andrew Louis Padula passed away Thursday, September 16, from injuries sustained in a car accident. Family and friends surrounded him.

If Andrew had overseen this notice, it would not have been a notice. It would have been a three-day research project on 20th-century obituaries, twenty pages of notes, four meetings, and a request for the final draft by morning. In his honor, this one is shorter.

He was a Marylander from start to finish. From grade school through high school, then on to the University of Maryland.

Boy Scouts suited him. He liked being useful outdoors and learning to be prepared. He could make a meal from the woods and name the plants along the trail. Prepared was less a motto for him than a habit.

In high school, he picked up the guitar and found a true passion. He studied through college, then spent ten years on the road with Bobby Parker. He talked most about one night: playing with Santana at the Montreux Festival in 2004.

Travel time was not downtime. On buses and planes, he read U.S. history, world history, economics, and politics. If there was a gap in the schedule, there was a book in it.

He never left his home state in his heart, even when the tour bus did. Homesickness won. He came back to Maryland, worked on seven federal campaigns, and kept music close by teaching it.

He treasured his time with his mother and sister. When his sister died unexpectedly and his mother was diagnosed with cancer, he stepped in at once, seeking out the best doctors he could find and accompanying her to every treatment. His mother died soon after. The loss of both women left him devastated, but his friends stayed close, and in time he came to see them as his new family in Maryland.

When the calendar allowed, he was in the stands for the Orioles, the Caps, and the Redskins, usually after recruiting one friend to suffer or celebrate with him. When the teams were on the road, he watched from home with his best friend, Bert the parrot. Andrew cooked with Bert’s diet in mind. Simple quiet dinners with him and his parrot. It was never surprising to see him driving with Bert on his shoulder.

That was the shape of his life: Maryland, friends, outdoors, guitar, books, politics, ballparks, and a parrot who rode shotgun.

Andrew was preceded in death by his father, Louis Padula; his mother, Joan Padula; and his sister, Laura Padula. He leaves behind his aunt Betty and uncle Carmine Zeccardi, his uncle Joe Padula, many cousins, and the Maryland family he built with his friends, who will remember him with love.

A committal service will be held on Saturday, October 10, at 11:00 a.m. at the Strine Farm, 12709 Martin Road, Smithsburg, MD 21783. In keeping with Andrew’s wishes, a tree will be planted. Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes.

Heartstrings help independent artists build sustainable careers and own their creative work through knowledge, tools, community, and opportunity. To honor Andrew’s memory and his love of music, please donate at Heartstrings.gives