Andrew Sayrs

March 12, 2018

CHARLOTTE – Andrew (Andy) Lee Sayrs, 38, of Charlotte, died unexpectedly on March 12, 2018.  Andy was born in Dallas, Texas on December 10, 1979, son of Milton James Sayrs and Susan Allison Sayrs. He grew up in Charlotte and graduated from Charlotte Country Day School.  He completed his education at the University of Tennessee and Winthrop University.  Andy was employed by Greater Golf Express where he has worked since college.  He was also a member of Myers Park United Methodist Church.

In addition to his parents, Andy is survived by a brother, Stephen James Sayrs of Charlotte.

 A service to celebrate Andy’s life will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, March 16, 2018 at Myers Park United Methodist Church with the Reverend Bill Roth officiating.  The family will receive friends following the service in Jubilee Hall.

 Memorials may be sent to the American Heart Association, 128 S. Tryon Street, Suite 1588, Charlotte, NC 28202 or to the Assistance League of Charlotte, P.O. Box 471112, Charlotte, NC 28247.

 Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.

 

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  • Linda Pugh

    Susan, I read of Andy’s death while I was out of town. I was so saddened. I want you to know that I am so sorry for your loss, an unimaginable one.
    I remember fondly getting to know and like you at Country Day. I send my love and condolences. Linda Pugh

  • John Adams

    Jim and Susan - so sorry for your loss. Please know that our hearts and best wishes are with you as you celebrate Andy's life and happy memories.

    John and Lynn Adams

  • Curry Cromer

    To the Sayrs Family, we are grieving alongside you with the loss of Andy. And our thoughts are towards your family as we pray fervently for God to bring you His comfort.

    This year marks twenty years of friendship I've had with Andy. I have so many fond memories of him over the years. I want to celebrate him for what a great friend he was and for what an even greater man he was. I also want to share some of those thoughts and memories with you and with all of your friends and family.

    Anyone that knew Andy knows what a big time sports fan he was. One fond memory I have of watching sports with him was just the two of us in 2004, when the Carolina Panthers took down the St. Louis Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf" on the road in the divisional playoffs in double overtime. The game still goes down as one of the best in Panther's history and NFL history. The score had gone back and forth the entire game and was barely into double overtime when a play called X-Clown was called. Jake Delhomme hit Steve Smith with a bullet, splitting the defense in the middle of the field for a long touchdown to win the game. Andy and I erupted. We were screaming, cheering, jumping up and down hugging each other; I don't know that there was ever a time I've celebrated a victory as joyfully as we did than at the end of that game with him. It was awesome.

    Andy loved this time of year. He loved March Madness. He took first place in our annual basketball pool multiple times, a feat that most of us have never even done once.

    Mostly when I think of Andy and sports, I think of that fiery Tennessee Vol's fan, blasting good ole “Rocky Top” as loud as the stereo could play it, maybe sometimes twice in a row. I think I became a partial Vol's fan by osmosis just out of my mere association with Andy. It was hard for his fandom to not to rub off on you. Every now and again if I saw the Vol’s on TV, I would send him a text, and I would pull for them because of my friend; and I knew that with almost any certainty he was watching them too. That passion for the Vol's was no doubt an extension of the passionate guy he was.

    I always enjoyed and looked forward to my conversations with Andy. For a guy who might seem to be a bit shy at first, he was a great conversationalist. We would always talk about the latest shows we were watching or random and interesting facts of trivia. And yes, we would even dabble in some talk about politics. Andy above all my friends was my go-too guy that I could have an in depth, informed political conversation with. Andy knew his stuff, and he had a great intellect. He kept up with current events and always knew what was going on in national and international news. He wasn't afraid to tell you, if he thought you were wrong on a position. But no matter what, even if we were on completely opposite sides of a debate, we would speak to each other passionately, sometimes heatedly, but also with civility and mutual respect. I'd like to think we always walked away from our conversations a little more enlightened and knowledgeable. But I'm sure there were more than a few occasions we would walk away simply because people told us to shut up and stop talking politics! We'd have a laugh together and more often than not indulge them and move on to more light conversation, smiling and knowing that we'd pick up the conversation the next time around.

    Andy might have seemed reserved until you got to know him, but once you did, you realized what a smart dry wit and sense of humor he had. I loved seeing him get animated, and I would always love laughing with him. He was smart, personable, a gentleman to the highest degree; he was someone I've known to embody integrity, respect, and decency. There's not a doubt in my mind that all of those great qualities we came to admire in Andy stemmed directly from his family and upbringing. Andy believed in God and Country. I think you can take great pride in the son you raised and the man he became. There's a phrase you'll no doubt hear repeatedly about Andy: that he was genuinely the nicest sweetest person I think I'll ever know.

    Andy was a real music lover. He introduced me to a whole lot of music over the years, stuff that I may have overlooked or in many cases never even heard of. Of course U2 was his all time favorite! I even got to play a little music with him as well. I always found Andy to be a real creative musician whether he was playing bass, rhythm, or lead guitar. He was a tactician when it came to music. Andy had a real analytical mind in all the things he did, and I think he loved being able to use that analytical talent in songwriting or figuring out a piece of music. He was generous with his talents. He would never mind taking the time to patiently teach you or help you figure out something musically. He wouldn’t make you feel intimidated because his skills were better than yours. He was never the person to bulldoze his way through a song just to show off some flashy guitar skills. Music was such a big part of his life, and I think the way he played music was a lot like the values he lived out. Andy was all about substance not show, a thoughtful collaborator, genuine, generous, a bit of a quiet genius, a true fiery and noble spirit who I love and who I'm going to miss. I love you Andy.

  • Raye Hiney

    Jim & Susan,
    So sorry to hear of the loss of your son. Thinking of you and your family in this time of sorrow. May God lighten the burdens of your sadness and sorrow
    and console your grieving hearts.

  • Cheryle Hill Tillery

    Jim, Susan & Stephen - I am so very sorry. I pray that you all feel the presence of God's love and that He provides you peace and comfort during this time. My heart goes out to you all.

    Love, Cheryle

  • Melvin & Anita McIntosh

    Jim and Susan, we are so sorry for your loss of Andy. We hope your good memories of him, along with the comfort that God provides for such a time, will sustain you during these days. Be assured of the love and caring of your frilends and church familly.

    Melvin and Anita McIntosh

  • Seth Flowers

    Sayrs family - My wife and I have been praying for y'all. Andy was a good friend - he was very loyal and kind - one of the most dependable guys I've ever met. One memory I have of him is that we both played on a basketball team together our senior year - mainly to get out of gym class. Our team wasn't full of the most serious players, so the games and practices were typically a lot of fun. One game, Andy got the ball outside the three point line and threw it up, swished, and our team went wild. A minute later, he got the ball again at the same place, threw it up again, made another three, and our team got even wilder... unbelievably, within a few minutes he got the ball at the exact same spot, and made another three. Our team was slapping the floor, jumping up and down, going crazy. Such a good moment.

  • JANE GREGOR

    Susan and Jim,
    I am so,so sorry for your loss. Your family will remain in our prayers, as you move through this difficult time.