Andy Glendenning

Andy Glendenning was born June 2nd 1983 and passed away surrounded by family on June 12th 2021 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Andy was born to Tracy Glendenning and David Glendenning. Andy attended Bolivar High School, graduated in 2002. Andy was saved and baptized at the age of 10 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church and was a member of Wellspring Baptist Church. Andy leaves behind his wife and two children who he adored, Abby, Ellie and Mila. As a young child Andy was a unique and inquisitive boy. He always asked a lot of questions and wanted real answers. He could sense when someone wasn’t being straight with him. He once asked his First-grade teacher what was written on the book held by the Statue of Liberty. When his teacher didn’t know, he thought that was unacceptable. He has always been witty and charming. Strangers started calling his parents occasionally around age 10 to tell them he was a remarkable young man. His fascination with aviation began at the age of nine, when he decorated his room with posters of military jets. Andy was just 12 years old when he informed his parents that he wanted to learn to fly. Andy being the driven young man he was, started up a lawn mowing business to pay for flight lessons, and he even rode his bike to the Bolivar Airport. He took his love for flying to another level when he soloed three airplanes on his 16th birthday and earned his driver’s license on the same day. He went on to get his private pilot, instrument and commercial licenses. In his twenties, Andy trained and competed as an aerobatics pilot. He enjoyed taking people for rides in his Christian Eagle Bi-plane and enjoyed performing for the community. Over the years he worked for several airlines including Empire Airlines, Avantair and OzAir before finishing his career with Frontier Airlines. At the age of 24, his determination and hard work led him to become the youngest Captain ever to upgrade at Empire Airlines. Andy shared his passion for flying in many ways. Such as giving kids free rides in his airplanes, performing for local community events, and becoming a flight instructor. Andy trained countless pilots over the years. He always made time to train his students, even while working full time with the airlines. There have been countless students of Andy’s that became lifelong friends. His legacy will live on with the skills he taught them. When Andy heard of a new program beginning at the Bolivar Airport that was developed to train missionary pilots for the field, he immediately got on board. He trained the very first student at SOAR and many others that followed. He was incredibly proud of his work with the organization and the missionary pilots he trained. Andy Glendenning was a man of many passions. His most important titles in life were husband to wife Abby and dad to his two daughters Ellie and Mila. Family was the most important thing to him. He was married to Abby on June 20, 2015. He always said she was his dream girl, and they lived a life full of love. Although their time was cut short, they were able to fit a lot of life into their eight years together. They traveled all over the country, built a life to be proud of and were best friends through it all. Andy and Abby had two beautiful daughters who Andy absolutely adored. He was the best, most fun, loving dad to those precious girls. He would take them flying, to the park, to get ice cream and loved to teach them about Jesus. He loved the three of them so very much. He always took great care of his girls. After his diagnosis he spent his time making sure they would all be taken care of if something were to happen to him. The word “idle” did not fit with Andy’s lifestyle. If he wasn’t flying or buying and selling cars, he was buying lawnmowers and mowing not only his lawn but the lawns of countless neighbors and friends. Any mechanical device fascinated Andy. He was constantly researching subjects that interested him. He loved to help on the family farm. You could often find him driving around town with his dog Sam. Andy led a varied life that took him beyond flying. He had an infectious personality. Everyone enjoyed being around him and listening to him tell a story that only he could properly narrate. He would go to the greatest links to make someone laugh or prank one of his friends. He genuinely loved life, loved Jesus, loved people and made the most out of the time he was given. He had a special love for music. So much so that he picked out songs for each of his daughters to hear shortly after they were born. He wanted to select the perfect song for each of them to begin their lives with. He had a unique ability to make everyone feel as if they were his best friend. He made time for everyone even when he didn’t have the time. Andy was a loving father, loyal husband, devoted son, admired older brother, fun uncle and wild friend. How much he will be missed can not be put into words, but can only be felt. This can be said of Andy Glendenning “professional pilots are trained to never ever give up flying the airplane no matter how bleak the emergency.” Andy carried that same training with him during his fight with cancer. He never gave up. There is a verse in the Bible that also refers to Andy as his life came to a close “My life has been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race and I have remained faithful.” He was proceeded in death by his grandmother Doris Glendenning and his great grandfather Lyle Vest. He is survived by his wife Abby Glendenning, his daughter’s Ellie and Mila Glendenning, his mother Tracy Glendenning, his father and stepmother David and Gabriela Glendenning, two brothers and a sister in law Adam, Alex and Jessica Glendenning, his great grandma Willa Best, step-brother Diego Brawn and wife Shelby, step-sister Fernanda Brawn, and her children Christopher and Aaron, two nieces Paisley and Lexi Glendenning and 1 nephew Payton Hegle. His maternal grandparents Jerry and Mildred Mincher, and his paternal grandfather Jack Glendenning. A memorial visitation for Andy will be held on Friday, June 18th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, June 19th at 10:00 am. Both services will be held at Wellspring Baptist Church 2100 S. Spring St in Bolivar, Missouri. Internment at Goodson Cemetery in Goodson, MO. A memorial fund has been set up for the Family of Andy Glendenning at OakStar bank

Andy Glendenning

June 2, 1983 - June 12, 2021