Andres “Mr. Andy” Lara Sanchez Sr.

FORT WORTH-Andres Lara Sanchez, Sr. passed away at the age of 85 on May 16th, 2020 at the Downtown Health & Rehab facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
Graveside service: 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at Azleland Cemetery.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the donor’s charity of choice.
Andres, known affectionately as “Mr. Andy”, was born November 9, 1934 to Petra Azpericueta Lara and Ascencion Gutierrez Sanchez in Corpus Christi, Texas on the Chapman Ranch, also known as “el Hongo” Ranch. He was one of 5 children born to Petra and Ascension (Chon) Sanchez. His father was in charge of the rodeo horses on the ranch, so Andres learned to ride and rope horses before he was 10 years old. His mother was a seamstress and provided dressmaking and tailoring services to the families on the ranch and also made beautiful crocheted “mantelles” (tablecloths). His family left the ranch in 1947 and settled in Goree, Texas, and made a living as sharecroppers, harvesting cotton. Andres loved attending school but had to drop out at 16 years of age to help out with the farming of the land after his older brother (Antonio) was drafted into the Korean War in 1950. Three years later, Andres met Augustina Rivera in Goree and they were married in December of 1953 and began raising a family, eventually having 4 children. Andres eventually moved his family to Shallowater in 1962, then Ft. Worth in 1969 where he found employment with the General Dynamics Corporation as a custom welder. After leaving General Dynamics, he co-owned a Conoco gas station in the Fort Worth area, serving as a manager and mechanic for the gas station. In addition, Andres was also an ordained fundamental Baptist minister in the city of Azle, Texas where he enjoyed singing and playing guitar in the local churches with his children and had a beautiful baritone voice. Andres was known for his quick wit, his carpentry skills, his love of cars, singing and playing guitar with his children and being surrounded by his favorite dogs, Benny and Brat.
Andres suffered from dementia for the last 7 years of his life and the family wishes to thank the nursing home staff (of Downtown Health & Rehab) for their care and attention to Andres prior to his death. In addition, the family extends the same gratitude to the Brown Owens & Brumley Funeral Home for their compassionate handling of Andres’ final resting place and last but not least to Mr. Bob Comolli, who acted as Andres’ court appointed guardian in the final 5 years of his life and who provided the family with memories and photos of “Mr. Andy’s” last 5 years at the rehab facility.
He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant sister, Bernardine, his sister, Maria I. Garcia, his brother, Antonio L. Sanchez and his son, Andrew L. Sanchez, Jr.
Survivors: Andres is survived by one sister, Severa Sanchez, his daughters, Diana (Mark) Swartz, Sylvia (Adnan) Fellah, Nikki Sanchez, and their mother, Augustina Rivera Thompson; his grandchildren, Amanda (Stoney) King, Ashley Sanchez, Nadiah (Sean) Fellah, Kamilla (Kirill) Fellah, Noalle Fellah and Andrew Pecina Sanchez, III; and his great grandchildren, Noah & Isaiah Cook, and Ava & Zayna Abbott Fellah.

Brown Owens & Brumley Family Funeral Home
425 S. Henderson St.
(817) 335-4557