Obituary of Fredrick Thomas Andrews

Frederick T. Andrews, Retired Bell Labs and Bellcore Executive has Died at 86 Frederick Thomas Andrews Jr. of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, son of Frederick Thomas Andrews Sr. and Marie Louise Garrett, the loving husband for 61 years of Nancy Wicklein Andrews and devoted father of three, passed away at the age of 86 on the morning of Sept 15. Andrews was born October 6th, 1926 and grew up in Palmerton, Pennsylvania. He was the valedictorian of his engineering class at Penn State University in 1948 and went on to join AT&T’s Bell Telephone Laboratories. Fred, as his colleagues new him, was involved in many of Bell Labs’ pioneering innovations as, over time, phones moved from vacuum tube-based technologies to digital transmission systems. He was instrumental in conceiving a breakthrough that eliminated cross-talk interference from digital transmissions and as a result laid the groundwork not only for specific products like the T-1 line but also established the overall foundation for the digital mode of transmission that would ultimately transform the telephone network. He retired as Vice President of Bellcore in1990. In his personal life, Tom, as his family and friends knew him, had an ongoing love of music and theater which he shared with his wife. He acted and worked behind the scenes in the 60’s, 70’s and ‘80’s in amateur theater productions by Stony Hill Players in Union County and Wagon Wheel Players in Monmouth County. For several decades the couple were active members of the choir of the First Presbyterian Church of Red Bank and recently in the choir at New Vernon Presbyterian Church. As Tom and his wife entered their eighties they moved to Fellowship Village in Basking Ridge where they performed in many musical productions. They also have particularly enjoyed being active supporters of the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, NJ. For many summers Tom and his family relished vacation time in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and he spent much of his retirement boating and relaxing lakeside with Nancy. Over the years he enjoyed horseback riding, photography, sailing, woodworking, camera collecting and travel. In retirement he was active as a writer, contributing to a variety of technology journals, including that of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) of which he was a past president. Tom is survived by his wife Nancy, as well as, daughter Sally (Bart) Finzel of Morris, MN and sons Mark (Cindy) Andrews of Bridgewater Township, NJ and John (Patty) Andrews of Los Angeles, CA. He is also survived by sister Eve Kugler of Basking Ridge and he has seven grand children. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the family from 5-8pm on Thursday 9/19 at the Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home 101 South Finley Ave, Basking Ridge NJ. A Memorial service will be held at Fellowship Village off Allen road in Basking Ridge on Saturday 9/21 at 11am. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations in his name to the National MPS Society www.mpssociety.org