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Andrew Bem Obituary

Andrew Bem was the fourth son of Pete and Anna (Yadawitski) Bem. Andrew was one of eight children, the last surviving he was predeceased by brothers Michael, John, Paul and Stanley and sisters Dorothy Hyland, Mary Guard and Catherine Scibec. Andrew is survived by many nieces and nephews. Andrew was born on October 2nd, 1930. He graduated from Reading High School where he was a football star. He could have gone on to have a football career but instead chose to enlist in the United States Army, became a Corporal and served five years much of his time on the front lines in Korea. When he came home he found his childhood sweetheart, Marian L. Bem and they spent seventy some happy years together. He was the father of Linda Gieringer and Andrea Lorah, wife of Harry Lorah with whom he resided for the last twenty-four years. Andrew was predeceased by his wife Marian January 22, 2019. Andrew is survived by his grandchildren Troy, Tina and Andy Gieringer, Genesis Stone and Haley Fox. Andrew was also the step-Grandfather of Heather Dunkle and predeceased by Harry Michael Lorah who passed away February 29th of 2020. He had many Great Grandchildren and Great Great Grandchildren - he was ever present in their lives. His family was always around him. He was really loved. Andrew loved nature. Watching the birds and feeding them, also the squirrels and chipmunks and he always loved the deer and turkeys that came by to visit and munch. Before losing his leg he loved to walk at the Red Covered Bridge by Tulpehocken Creek, walking Haley there daily at 4.2 miles per day. He loved flowers also and we planted almost five hundred daffodil bulbs along with tulips and hyacinth. We panted every flower we could find room for so he could roll outside and enjoy nature. His other passion was cooking and baking cakes and large cookies which he handed out to the neighborhood kids and we took lots of his baking to work. He is remembered by many as the cake man. About two years ago he began to slow down but still wanted to be hands on in the kitchen so he and Andrea would plan and ready the ingredients the night before then he would direct her on how to make everything from baked beans and potato salad to cakes and spaghetti sauce. Andrea will treasure those days forever. Andrew worked at the Guard House tending bar with his brother in law Hoagy and Sister Mary before landing a job at Armour and Company where he spent 20 years. Then he worked for Ted Smith Floor Products as warehouse Manager for his brother Stanley until his retirement in 1991. Sunday dinners were an absolute at our house and anyone hungry could come. He bought sugar and flour by the hundreds of pounds so he and Mom could bake. He would buy forty pounds of bacon at a time for big breakfasts, too. Andrew always believed in having “backup” of whatever was needed for the kitchen and cooking. We will continue to carry on his teachings and always put family first. He loved to challenge Andrea into finding Where’s Waldo when the newspaper carried it and he enjoyed I Spy books with the kids. He loved old movies and had a huge collection of just about every black and white movie ever made! He survived a great flood as a young boy living on Canal Street where he and his entire family were rescued by boat, carefully loading his Sisters and Brothers and Mom in first. While the water rose, he waited for last. He survived the Great Depression and the Korean War. Sadly, he passed away quickly when a fire broke out and he died of smoke inhalation. He was very special to all of us, a world book of knowledge and stories and jokes that are ingrained to me and his Doctor offices too! I would like to thank all of the Doctors who cared for my Dad into his later years due to diabetes, with Covid the doctors and rides for deer watching were really all he got to do so we rallied around him and talked to him a lot. Harry and he read the paper and talked about the service all the time. We watched tv with him and the kids played with him and he never got cabin fever once! He was gracious and wise, a pillar of strength and security to all of us, we will always remember how lucky we were to have him in our lives.
Services are private at the convenience of the family. 
Arrangements entrusted to John P. Feeney Funeral Home, Inc. 625 N. 4th Street at Centre Ave., Reading, PA 19601, 610-372-4160.

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