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The following was announced by Mayor Austen Tylek of North Tonawanda, New York:
"Over the weekend, Hilary Roe (3rd Ward Councilwoman) and I had the honor of joining Andy Williams’ family, friends, bandmates, and thousands of fans for a celebration of the life, legacy, and lasting impact of North Tonawanda’s own Andy Williams.
Following Andy’s recent passing, a local business owner and close friend of Andy’s, approached Councilwoman Roe and I about an idea to bring a permanent memorial here in Andy’s hometown. Together with Parks & Recreation Director Alex Domaradzki, we began discussing a meaningful place where Andy’s family, friends, fans, and supporters from around the world could visit, reflect, and celebrate his life. From those conversations came the idea of placing a lifelike memorial statue at Gratwick Park.
Andy was a gifted musician, performer, and professional wrestler, best known to many as the guitarist of Every Time I Die. His talent and personality brought him to stages and arenas around the world, but North Tonawanda was always home. The neighborhood where Andy grew up helped shape the person he became, and his connection to our community never faded.
At Sunday’s Celebration of Life, the memorial statue was unveiled by organizers for the first time. It will eventually have a permanent home at Gratwick Park, only a short distance from the neighborhood where Andy grew up.
Gratwick Park welcomes people from throughout Western New York and beyond, and this memorial will give the hundreds of thousands of people who followed Andy’s music, wrestling career, and larger-than-life personality a place to visit and remember him for generations to come.
This memorial effort is being driven and supported by Andy’s family, friends, and the many people who want to help preserve Andy’s legacy. For those interested in supporting their efforts, www.AndyWilliamsForever.com offers memorial merchandise, donations, and personalized engraved bricks that will become part of the memorial project.
More information and ways to support the project can be found here:
https://andywilliamsforever.com
On behalf of the City of North Tonawanda, thank you to Andy’s family, friends, bandmates, fans, and everyone who has worked to make this tribute possible.
Andy may have left us, but his music, his spirit, and his North Tonawanda roots will live on."
Thanks to Tom Mehs for passing this along!
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