Andy got his start cooking at a young age at Wong’s Chinese Restaurant in Helena, where he learned to make Chinese pork, the dish that would become his specialty.
He continued in the restaurant business for many years, working at every bar and restaurant in North Jefferson county. He cooked at Chubby’s, Jackson Creek, and Hardware Café, and made pizzas at Papa Rays. He washed dishes at the Montana City Grill. Andy loved these jobs and made countless friends along the way. He also had a lawn business on the side and made many locals happy when he groomed their yards.
Andy worked so many hours that he treasured the time he could spend with family. He loved family gatherings, especially when there were enough family or friends to engage in a good pinochle game.
And for many of those gatherings, he brought Chinese pork, still his favorite after all those years. It was an appetizer we all looked forward to sharing. Andy made Chinese pork and other Chinese food for many of his friends, as well. Any conversation of Andy usually included comments about his pork. He cooked an entire Chinese dinner for a large hunting camp for a few years.
Andy loved to do things for others. And when he retired from all his jobs, he spent time with his family taking day trips to places he had never been or hadn’t been for years. That included travel to Yellowstone Park, Ennis, Virginia City and Nevada City, and drives around Canyon Ferry Lake. He would jump in the car when we went to Great Falls or Bozeman so he could enjoy the scenery. There were also countless camping trips to Canyon Ferry or Hauser Lake.
