OBITUARY
Andrew William Dedlefs
Born: 29 November 1961
Died: 17 April 2013
ANDREW Dedlefs was a hard worker who always put his hand up to help out.
The Akoonah Park Market manager died suddenly last month after a short illness, aged 51 years.
Andrew was born in Bentleigh to Betty and Ray, with an older sister Jennifer and younger brother Ross. The family moved to Mount Waverley, where Andrew lived until his built his dream house in Narre Warren with his wife Michelle after the birth of his two daughters, Jema and Holli.
Michelle’s hobby of growing bonsai and making pots took the couple to markets in Dandenong and Mordialloc before settling on the Akoonah Park Market where Andrew began a long affiliation. He started staying back after the market to help pack up and soon became the right-hand man of market manager Marty Alberni and two men formed a close bond.
In 2001, Andrew joined the Akoonah Park Committee of Management and he retained a position until 2012. He also became a member of the Berwick Show Society, where he was president between 2005-06 and was named the manager of the Akoonah Park Market in 2006, a position he retained until his passing.
Until 2001, Andrew was a supervisor at Coombs air-conditioning but left his job in 2000, coming home to tell Michelle he had had enough and would ‘figure something out’. Before long, his attention moved to his own maintenance business starting with purchase of a van and adding to his collection of tools.
Business was soon booming with word of mouth spreading and he took over all the maintenance of Akoonah Park and had a partnership with Brentwood Homes.
Michelle said Andrew liked to keep busy and was either ‘working or sleeping’, mostly working seven days a week. He was always willing to help and able to find a solution to any problem.
Over the years, Andrew tried his hand at a number of sporting styles, including karate, in-line hockey and indoor football, but always found his work was enough physical activity.
The family took camping holidays each year, which were a great pleasure for Andrew and a rare chance to relax.
He was forced to slow down last year with keyhole heart surgery but recovered well with no complications.
On Monday 8 April he suffered gastro symptoms, and was taken to Dandenong Hospital. He was soon transferred to Monash Medical Centre to be treated by the coronary neurological and infectious disease specialists after he was was diagnosed as having a staph infection, with no definitive cause. The infection attacked his weak heart valve and he didn’t recover after his brain suffered a number of strokes.
After Andrew was declared brain dead and all treatment stopped, he passed away quickly on Wednesday, 17 April.
His wife Michelle said it was sudden and unexpected loss. Andrew is survived by Michelle, Jema and Holli.
