Andre Bolton

To know Andre is to love him. He was always real with me cuz he knew I never judged him. His love for Alicia is one that movies are made for. You always try to be the tough guy “go make me a sammich” but we all knew you were kind hearted. This “crazy broad” is gonna miss you.

Dear Andre, You came to me in an emergency state. Your eyes filled with water, yet no tears were dropping. I could see all the anger in your posture and facial expressions. This was painful for you and me, because I had to figure out how I could make you understand, I was going to do my very best to care for you. Over and over you wanted to know how long you were going to be away from your mom and Ob. That was a question I could not answer truthfully, because I didn’t know. But again I knew I had to win you over, and make you feel welcome and most of all, show you love and hope you would give me a chance. Thank God, with time, you met and made friends, and the majority were all family. My job begun to get easier and the guard finally came down. You realize that living with me and Tracie wasn’t so bad after all. You had a very clean home, plenty of food to eat, very nice clothes to wear and able to engage with friends and family. As time went by, the day finally came and mom showed up to get you. That was a happy moment and joy was restored back into your broken heart. My joy came, seeing your big smile and seeing you were ready to collect all your things and letting mom know, let’s hurry up and leave. My dear, you took a piece of my heart with you as you and mom drove off? Heading back to the big city of Chicago, which you knew all so well, it was home and where you wanted to be. My love that would not be the last time we spoke or laid eyes on each other. We continued to communicate over the years as you grew into your manhood. And memories were continuing to grow over the years. You attended family reunions and phone call throughout the years and holidays. The one phone call you made to me, was very emotional for me. You said, Aunt Dian, I’m getting married to Alicia and I really want you to be here. The next question was, can you get my uncle’s and family to come. I said I will make sure, we’re all going to be there for you, and we were. My heart was so filled with joy, because you were taking the woman you fell in love with, to be your wife. Alicia my dear, I say to you. Thank you and God bless you. You made my nephew happy and the sound and tone in his voice, was pure joy and happiness he had not felt in years. The smile on his face was a joy for everyone there to witness y’all love for one another, and he was so proud. Throughout the years we continued to talk and share life’s lessons and experiences and talks about how much we loved and missed one another. My dear Andre, I must tell you, things did not end in a way, I would have never imagined. Your last call to me said. 😓 Aunt Dian, I’ve been trying to reach you, please call me. Unbeknown to you, I had gone through surgery and little did I know you had been sick. When they say, you never know the day or the time of death. Lord knows, I was so distraught with agony, when I got a call from your sister, DeeDee, telling me, Dra is gone. That took me to a place of pain, disbelief, sadness, grief and anger. Why and how was it, that I would only be left with your voicemail? Saying I Love you and Tracie and her son Cole. Now that you have gone to your forever home, to reunite with your mom, dad and family and friends. My dearest, you are still embedded in my heart and soul. My darling may you rest in peace and never experience pain again. I love you today, I loved you yesterday and I will love you always. Aunt Dian 🙏🏽😘💙🫂

The reason I so appreciated and respected Andre was because of the love he had for Alicia. It was boundless and its energy was palpable. It made you want to know him and be in his orbit. Getting to know him over the years I grew to admire and appreciate his humor and sincerity. My husband and I would follow him on FB just to see what “amok” he was creating. Always smiling and cracking jokes. He brought joy. He made my dear friend happy. He will always be remembered with a smile and love. Until we meet again-~

Proud, sincere, loving, loyal, never superficial, and undeniably authentic—that was Andre. In his presence, he had an innate ability to make you feel comfortable and truly welcomed. His superpower was the profound love and respect he held for the important people in his life—his wife, his family, his friends. It was pure and boundless. He could be enigmatic yet completely open and present at the same time, a gift I deeply admired. Even without your physical presence, your relevance will remain strong—something we can all strive for. I’m sad your time on this earth was far too short, Andre, but the imprint you left on those you touched will last forever. Rest in Power, my friend, you surely deserve it.

What I loved most about Andre was the way he expressed his love for those around him. I could always see how deeply he cared for my cousin Alicia, as well as my Uncle George and Aunt Karen. He was the missing piece this family needed—the one who could add a funny story or share a really cool song. I always looked forward to family gatherings because it meant I’d get to make my way over to him for a chat. Those conversations were filled with the best kind of joy and laughter, and they always included a moment where he told me how lucky he felt to be part of the Klotz (Smaga extended) family. Little did he know, we felt just as lucky to have him. Andre is the kind of person whose amazing qualities will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. He may be gone, but the impression he left on our hearts will continue to live on.