Obituary of Andy Pena

Andy Pea, a freshman at the Darien High School, passed away on March 25, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts. Born on April 25, 1996 in New York City, he was the son of Victor and Giovanna Pea, residents of Darien. Andy's generous heart, broad smile, endless sense of humor, and kind spirit touched many lives in the community and beyond. From a very tender age, he loved taking care of younger children and as he grew older, enjoyed babysitting and playing with children of all ages. He was particularly fond of his cousin Brandon, age 8, whom he adored. His friends described Andy as one of the most caring, loyal, kind, funny friends they ever had, always carrying a broad smile and making them laugh constantly. They believed Andy touched every life he met. They will remember him forever for the friendliness and happiness he brought to their lives and for his joy and love of life. All his life, Andy was actively involved in sports, and he loved so many of them. He participated in competitive swimming since the age of six. He swam for both the Middlesex Club in Darien, where he won numerous races and the Coaches Award, and for the Darien YMCA Piranhas Team, where he participated in Age Groups and New England Championships with outstanding performances. He also loved playing water polo. Since starting at the High School last fall, he joined the track team, a sport he came to love and enjoy as much as swimming and participated with a strong performance in both cross country and indoor track. Andy also enjoyed the outdoors and loved skiing, rafting, hiking, and travelling with his family. He was fortunate to visit many places in the U.S. as well as several countries in Latin America and Europe. He enjoyed visiting his mother's birth country, Venezuela, which he described as "the most fun place in the world." He once said to a friend, "If you have not travelled and seen other places, other peoples, you have not lived." His teachers from Middlesex remember Andy as a special young man who had an infectious smile. As a student, he was consistently conscientious and hardworking, but it is his friendly, cheerful, and kind spirit that they will always remember. With his parents, Andy was always loving, loyal, and caring. He was unique in that he knew how to appreciate the littlest things in life and never took anything for granted. It was as if his mission in life was to make everyone he met feel special. To his beloved brother Cesar, Andy was more than a brother; he was a best friend and a role model. Cesar says, "My brother was the only one who truly knew me. He was one in a million. His smile lit up the whole room." Andy will be tremendously missed in Darien, in all the places he went, and by all the lives he touched. Besides his parents and brother Cesar, he is survived by his grandmother Maria Teresa Pea of Stamford, CT, his grandmother Teresa Caccialanza and uncle Cesar Caccialanza from Caracas, Venezuela, his aunt and uncle Nilda and Michael Lewis, and his cousin Brandon of Long Island. There will be a wake at St. Thomas More Church, 374 Middlesex Road, Darien on Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 from 4:00 to 8:00 P.M. A Funeral will be held at St. Thomas More Church on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. Donation may be made in Andy's name to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut, 126 Monroe Turnpike, Trumbull, CT 06611 and Tribute Program, St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942. The Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, Darien handled the arrangements. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820