Ed Andrews III, Harford County attorney and decorated Vietnam War veteran, dies

Yahoo

2 days ago

Ed Andrews III, a well-respected Harford County attorney and decorated Vietnam War veteran, died of a heart attack May 25 at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. The Fallston resident was 78.
Born in Winchester, Virginia, he was the son of Hiram Edward Andrews Jr., an aerospace engineer, and Ruth Belle Holter Andrews, who owned a Kingsville antique shop. Mr. Andrews spent his early childhood on his family farm in Front Royal, Virginia, where he enjoyed the outdoors.
After moving to Kingsville, he graduated from St. Paul's School for Boys, where he played football and basketball. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Mr. Andrews joined the Army and was stationed in Vietnam. He was awarded two Purple Hearts and other decorations for his work in intelligence. While on the battlefield, doing surveillance, he came under fire. He was cited for his bravery in carrying a wounded senior officer on his back to a helicopter during a rescue mission. He was also hit by mortar fire during the incident.
Mr. Andrews was taken to a MASH unit and eventually recovered from his wounds.
After leaving the military, Mr. Andrews spent two years traveling the world and collecting stories of the people he encountered. He spent time working on an oil rig in the North Sea, worked as a hand on a fishing boat in Scotland and on a game reserve in South Africa.
Mr. Andrews was a Capitol Hill police officer in the special forces division in Washington, D.C., while he pursued his law degree at American University. He began his career in earnest as a public defender for the City of Baltimore, where he tried several high-profile cases.
He later moved to Bel Air, where he settled with his family and went on to establish a private law practice.
'Ed was very passionate and aggressive in the courtroom,' said Senior Judge Stephen M. Waldron of the Circuit Court for Harford County. 'As a judge, Ed put you through your paces. He was once so offensive during a hearing that we did not speak for six months. Then we found ourselves in an elevator and we both started laughing.
'Out of the courtroom, no one had a bigger heart than Ed. He was passionate about justice,' said Judge Waldron. 'He was super prepared to defend his clients and he worked long hours. I'd pass his office and see the light on at night.'
He was the public defender of Frank Edward Green, a Far Rockaway man who shot four Harford County law enforcement officers, killing one.
In 1988, just hours before Green's trial was scheduled to begin, lawyers for accused killer Frank Green made a last-minute request to have his capital murder trial moved from Harford to Anne Arundel County.
'Believe me, it was a decision that was made at the 11th hour,' Mr. Andrews said to The Baltimore Sun. He cited pre-trial publicity as the reason Green wouldn't get a fair trial in Harford and because it was a capital murder case, the change of venue request had to be granted.
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Mr. Andrews was the Harford County Council attorney for many years and took on countless pro bono cases. His charity and compassion truly set him apart, as an attorney and as a human. He was an active member in local politics and ran for political office.
'My husband was a collector of everything. He appreciated books, art, and antiques and had impressive collections of each. He was a gourmet cook and the consummate host,' said his wife, Irene M. Padilla. 'He was a history buff with a particular interest in early American and military history. Ed was always up for an adventure, whether that was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or learning to snowboard in his 50s.'
Mr. Andrews also oversaw the renovation of his 18th-century home over the past decade.
'Because of his playful spirit, children and animals adored him almost as much as he adored them,' his wife said. 'He had an infectious laugh, an impish smirk, and a mischievous twinkle in his eye.'
A celebration of life will be held at 7 p.m. June 6 at the McComas Family Funeral Home in Bel Air.
Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Irene M. Padilla, the retired State Librarian of Maryland; a daughter, Heather Mohalski, of Brookhaven, Georgia; a sister, Sandra Alvarez, of Florida; and two grandsons.
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