Former Global Personnel, Andrew Frederiksen passed away on November 12, 2024, in Spring Valley, California. He was 85 years old.
Andrew Edward Frederiksen was born to Eunice Leona and Hans Hugo Frederiksen in Moline, Illinois, on January 8, 1939. They moved a lot in his early years as his father was a regional farm equipment sales representative. Andy lost his father to cancer at age 13 while living in Stockton, California. He was invited to Stockton Covenant Church as a teenager and became a Christian through their Sunday School ministry.
Andy joined the Navy reserves while in high school and served two years in the Pacific on a ship as a machinist first class. His deployments took him from San Francisco to Taiwan and the Philippines. He was an accomplished mechanic and as a young man learned to rebuild engines.
Andy met Kathy while attending Biola College and they were married in 1962. Andy graduated from Biola College, La Mirada, California, in 1965, and Taipei Language Institute in 1969. He graduated from North Park Theological Seminary in 1985. He eventually went on to receive a Master of Missiology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois. Andy was called for missionary service in Taiwan by the Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, in 1985.
After graduating from Biola, Andy, Kathy, and their three small children took a boat to Taiwan where they had a fourth child. After what he described as “3 years of intense study and 10 years of practice”, Andy became fluent in Taiwanese and later Mandarin. His Taiwanese was so good he was sometimes mistaken for a native speaker. During his time in Taiwan, he planted churches, suggested church planting methods, organized factory worker Bible studies, trained and mentored Taiwanese believers, and developed friendships with everyone he met. Including his service with SEND, he served in Taiwan for 30 years.
When they settled in the San Diego area in 1997, Andy worked in construction and remodeling and Kathy served as church secretary. Community Covenant Church in El Cajon became their home church and they became a vital part of the church family. Andy helped with the renovation of the church building and the creation of the outdoor trellis area. He hosted a boat building men’s group that met regularly to build a sailboat and study the Bible.
Andy loved the outdoors. He was an avid snorkeler and tested his diving skills during the family’s annual week at the beaches of southern Taiwan. He took his 4 kids on hikes and adventures in the mountains of Taiwan and in the late 1970s, he introduced the family to rock climbing. He made his own backpacks, harnesses and climbing hardware in his shop. Andy was a creative builder and outfitted every house he lived in with custom carports, bookcases, cupboards, tables, and sewing boxes. His other hobbies included car mechanics, beekeeping, bread making, and gardening. Andy always did things his own way and often worked alone. It was common to see Andy climbing high up into a tree with his chainsaw if the tree needed trimming, even at the age of seventy.
Andrew is survived by his wife of 62 years, Katheryn; four children, Julie Heinsman (Ron), Paul Frederiksen, John Mark Frederiksen (Clementa), and Sharon Bjorkman; 12 grandchildren, Mark, Teri, Jennifer, Melissa, Cameron, Jordan, Abigail, Hattie, Ian, Seth, Kayla, and Trent; and 5 great grandchildren.
A Memorial service was held on Friday, November 22, 2024, at Covenant Living at Mount Miguel in Spring Valley, California. Memorial contributions may be made in Andy’s name to Covenant Living Mt. Miguel.
Peace be to his memory.
