ANDREWS, Darlene Helen

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ 04/04/2014 Darlene Helen Andrews was born July 23, 1941, to Glenn Noggle and Lillian (Buffington) Noggle in Toledo, Ohio. She would eventually become the third of six children, being raised in the Noggle family with five brothers. Darlene attended Garfield Elementary and graduated from Waite High School in 1959. There she was the honored salutatorian speaker, receiving numerous scholarships that would later fund her total college career. Darlene attended the University of Toledo from 1959-63, graduating with a Bachelor of Education degree with specialized teaching coursework. Her college days were greatly enriched by being a four-year member of the Tri Delta Sorority, serving as the chapter’s chaplain for multiple years. Darlene’s childhood dream of becoming a teacher was finally realized when she acquired a position at Coy Elementary in the suburb of Oregon, Ohio. While in her first year of teaching, her career would be interrupted by a wedding — her own. On Dec. 21, 1963, she would marry her high school sweetheart, Chuck Andrews. She had known him since she was 12 as he was a best friend to her older brother. Darlene would put her teaching career on hold for a few years to raise a family of two sons and a daughter. These years were a different kind of teaching, but a very treasured time of her life. On April 1, 1974, the young Andrews family moved to Phoenix. There were some health considerations, but also the desire for a better climate and a new way of life. Darlene would teach at the Jewish Community Center and other schools before finding work in the public school system. In 1976, she would start her career with the Cartwright School District, first as a kindergarten teacher, then a third grade teacher at Tomahawk Elementary. She would retire in 1998 after 22 years of service. It seems Darlene was born to be a teacher. Even while in grade school she was a teacher’s helper in Sunday School classes at her Memorial UCC church. She continued through high school to seek such teaching opportunities. It was a passion and she always knew what she wanted to do with her life. She treated her students like little adults, teaching and loving at the same time, enjoying her children with a smile of contentment, truly comfortable and competent in this environment. She was especially proud of her directing the third graders of Tomahawk to do a full stage play, “Molly and the Bookworm.” Darlene was indeed a professional, the consummate educator of young children. Darlene and Chuck became active with Lions Club International in 2002, firstly with the Glendale Evening Club and later as charter members of the Glendale Bellair Lions Club on May 23 of the year. She also became an associate member of the Pinetop Lions Club when they acquired a cabin in Pinetop and would spend many wonderful summers there. As a Lion, she especially enjoyed Flag Day presentations to first graders. She would devote many hours during White Cane days standing outside business doors collecting funds for glasses and other charitable causes, organizing pot lucks, helping with cleanups of Camp Tatiyee and its open house days, and chairing the scholarship awards program to NPC nursing students in Show Low. She beamed parading through the streets of Denver at the International Convention with Lions from over a hundred countries around the world. The couple also joined the Gideons International organization in 2008. Darlene would be an auxiliary member of the White Mountains club or camp in Show Low. She was very pleased to be distributing the word of God, the Gideon Bibles, at hospitals and other places of care and business. Her social talents were very evident, working with Gideons booth at the Navajo County Fair in Holbrook, where she gave out many Testaments with a loving smile and warm greeting. Darlene was gifted musically, having taken many piano lessons in her youth. She had a beautiful alto voice and sang in four different church choirs throughout her years. She was an intense Scrabble player from her youth. Her children and grandchildren would not complete their “rite of passage” until actually beating their Mom or “Nanu” in a contentious game of Scrabble. She was a great cook and could make super meals magically appear in the shortest time. Her “Bird Room” at the cabin contained hundreds of porcelain birds she loved to collect through the years. Darlene looked forward to traveling to Cancun for the summer school break, and was blessed to see Europe, Hawaii and the Holy Lands in her tourist experience. She loved the outdoors, hiking and camping, and learned to easily out-fish her husband on the White Mountain lakes. Darlene was a member of the Community Church of Joy in Glendale and an associate member of the Calvary Baptist Church of Show Low during summer stays there. Darlene was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in August 2012 and underwent various chemotherapy treatments, as well as numerous radiation sessions. Those medical efforts, much prayer from countless friends and the pure grace of God allowed her to enjoy a festive 50th wedding anniversary with husband Chuck on Dec. 21, 2013. Darlene is predeceased by her parents Glenn and Lillian, and older brothers Dennis and Dave. She is survived by husband Chuck; sons Glenn and Greg; daughter Kim (Ward) Aycock; five grandchildren: Jamie, Corey and Caitlynn Andrews, Lexi and Shane Aycock. Also brothers Pep (Debbie) Noggle, Darrel (Linda) Noggle and Danny (Ginny) Noggle, sister-in-law Mary Noggle, one aunt Betty Buffington, and many nephews and nieces. A visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at Heritage Funeral Chapel, 6830 W. Thunderbird Road in Peoria, (623) 974-3671. A closed casket will be observed to fulfill Darlene’s request made some months ago. Her funeral will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 6, at Community Church of Joy, 21000 N. 75th Ave., just north of state Route 101. Burial will follow the service, place of burial will be announced. Donations to honor Darlene may be made to Cancer Research Institute, One Exchange Plaza, 55 Broadway Suite 1802, New York, NY 10006. “Darlene my wife, Tink, my sweetheart, loving Mom of my sons and daughter, doting grandmother “Nanu” of our five grandchildren; we learned to love you even more in your final days — even more. That love will connect us closely and constantly. You are with us; we are with you — always and forever.”