William "Woody" Andrecheck

William Henry Andrecheck, known to many as Woody, of Costa Mesa, CA, died comfortably and peacefully on August 16, 2025, in hospice care at a dear friend's home in Irvine, CA, after a valiant battle with cancer.

Bill was born on October 19, 1952, to Mary and Jim Andrecheck, the third of four children. He spent his childhood in South Columbia, NY, at the family home, playing in the nearby creek, catching what we kids called crabs, climbing on the grain bags in the grist mill next door, and picking peas in the garden in the summer. For several summers Bill and his younger brother Ray built an "official" badminton court in the backyard and would have fierce battles until it was too dark to play.  Ray won exactly one match.

In later years Bill enjoyed playing horseshoes there with his older brother Tim, Dad, and others who would drop by for the challenge of trying to beat the grand master horseshoe player, Dad.

After graduating from Richfield Springs Central School in 1970, Bill worked at the Shurkatch plant in Richfield Springs for about six months before hopping in his trusty red Pontiac Lemans and heading west, ending up in the greater Los Angeles area. He spent his 19th birthday in California, living in the "spacious" trunk of his Pontiac – his home for about six months -  parked in the Park Newport apartment complex parking lot. He recounted that the trunk was so big he could lie down diagonally and sleep quite comfortably!

From 1973-78 he worked on and off for UC Irvine and went to night school, taking classes to get his contractor's license, which he did in 1977; his license is one of the oldest continuous licenses in California today.

The 1970s were tumultuous times in America. The Vietnam war raged on and protests were rampant. Bill remembered hearing the deafening roar of helicopters flying over campus, to and from the adjacent Marine Corp Air Station El Toro. The draft had ended but was replaced with a lottery. During the first or second year of the lottery, Bill's number came up: 162. That year they only took 130. Whew!

Later on Bill took classes at Orange Coast College (OCC) in design and environmental (interior) design. In the late 1970s, he formed his own general contractor company, The Woodstock Company. Over the years Bill became a master ceramic tile setter, master enamelist, and cabinet maker. He installed specialty lighting and was skilled in fine finish work, building and remodeling many kitchens and baths.

One of Bill's other interests was dabbling in the stock market. He said his portfolio is having one of its best years ever, and he's disappointed not to be around to enjoy the fruits of his investments. His love of cars went way back too. Years ago he bought a red 1958 Corvette with white coves with the intention of rebuilding it according to its original specifications – a project he'll have to finish in his next life. Bill would time his annual summer visit to New York to coincide with the Syracuse Nationals car show, the largest car show in the Northeast with over 8,000 cars. He and Tim would happily wear themselves out each year wandering around the New York State Fairgrounds, a car enthusiast's heaven, kicking tires. Bill was also a wonderful host when people came to visit him. His sister Cindy stopped numerous times on her way to and from her home in Alaska, and Bill shared some of his other favorites with her: a performance of the musical Cats, prime rib special dinner at Zubies Dry Dock restaurant, and spellbinding evenings at the Magic Club.

Bill is survived by his siblings Cindy (Tom Ratledge), Tim, and Ray (Holly), his nephew Sky  (Sarah), great niece Adeline, many cousins, and an extensive California family of friends. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Mary and James Andrecheck, numerous aunts and uncles on both sides of the family, and several cousins

A celebration of life was held in Irvine, California, on August 24, 2025. Visitation and service in Richfield Springs, NY, will be at J. Seaton McGrath Funeral Home, 40 West James Street beginning at 10 am September 19, 2025. Directly afterwards, his ashes will be interred at St. Joseph's Cemetery on Cemetery Road.

Rest in pain free peace forever, Bill.