In Memory of Myron D. Andes, Jr. (December 13, 1954 – February 27, 2026)
We offer our condolences to the family and colleagues of the Rev. Myron D. Andes, who died on February 27, 2026, at the age of 71.
Myron was born on December 13, 1954, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Mary Andes and Myron Dean Andes Sr. He was raised in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), now known as Community of Christ. At age 10, his family moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and when he was 13, they relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, where Myron became very involved in high school activities. He served as student council president and class president, participated in chorus, competed in debate and speech, graduating as a valedictorian of his class, and receiving a national Presidential Scholar award. At 17, he was ordained as an RLDS Elder and served more than twenty years preaching, planning worship, officiating at ordinances and sacraments, and serving as a pastoral care intern at the RLDS headquarters in Independence, Missouri.
In 1977, Myron received his Bachelor of Science in Physics from Iowa State University and later pursued a Master’s degree in Religious Studies at Claremont Graduate School, California. By the time he completed his coursework, he had developed a definite lack of interest in Christian theology, even as his passion for religion endured. He went on to work as a bookseller and manager, overseeing an academic bookstore (1984–1992) and later a seminary bookstore (1994–1998). He found joy and intellectual stimulation in staying current with the new publications and helping others discover books they would read and use in their research and teaching. During this time, he attended a panel discussion on nuclear disarmament at the Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was struck by the aesthetics of the sanctuary and the congregation’s willingness to host such a discussion. Soon after, he began attending services regularly and found himself at ease with the community’s embrace of embodied human experience and spirit of nurturing care. There, he discovered Unitarian Universalism as a spiritual home that affirmed authentic, compassionate living and led him to his call to ministry. He was also a quiet, steady, and powerful presence at the White Bear UU Church in Mahtomedi, Minnesota. He often sought to serve on committees that required creative thinking, complex cooperation, discretion, and a larger view, including the Long Range Planning Committee and the Committee on Ministry. In 2006, Myron earned his Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry.
From 2006 to 2007, he served as a consulting interim minister for the UU Church of Evansville, Indiana. He then provided his interim services to the Sugarloaf Congregation of Unitarian Universalism in Germantown, Maryland, from 2007 to 2009. At Sugarloaf, he encouraged the congregation to deepen its commitment to social justice and worked collaboratively to develop a long-range plan for a strong Religious Education program. He was a steady and compassionate presence when the congregation experienced a crisis involving a key congregational leader.
In 2009, he was awarded preliminary fellowship from the UUA. From 2009 to 2010, the Rev. Andes served as an interim minister at the UU Church of Canton, New York, where he was known as a preacher in warmth, confidence, and spontaneity. In 2010, he accepted a call from the Unitarian Fellowship of London, Ontario, Canada, where he served until 2014. During his ministry there, he started a worship weavers’ team to help develop and implement an integrative vision of worship within the congregation. From 2014 to 2016, he served as a settled minister of the Minnesota Valley UU Fellowship, Bloomington, Minnesota.
He was an expert and compassionate listener, attending to personal relationships responsibly and with grounded openness. With a gentle yet deliberate presence, he was able to raise difficult issues that others might have avoided, creating space for honest reflection and growth. These gifts were appreciated by his congregants and colleagues.
He had a wide appreciation for art, music, poetry, drama, and film, and for the many ways different religious traditions use, create, and express these forms. He was also an excellent Esalen-trained massage therapist. He cared deeply about democracy and remained politically involved, especially with the Democratic Farmer Labor Party in Minnesota.
Myron is survived by his former partner, Shelley Page. He was preceded in death by his parents, Myron D. Andes and Mary Andes, and his sister, Anita Andes.
A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Minnesota Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 10715 Zenith Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55431. Colleagues are warmly invited to attend in person or join the livestream on Zoom or YouTube. Clergy are invited to robe and process. There will be an opportunity during the service to share brief memories of Rev. Andes, both in person and online. Those who wish to speak live on Zoom, or plan to robe and process, are asked to contact Shelley Page at shelleypage.imagine@gmail.com.
YouTube viewing of the service!
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of one’s own choosing. Notes of condolence may be sent to Rev. Shelley Page, 261 Coddington Rd Apt B, Ithaca, NY 14850.