Andrew Thomas Vander Heyden

Andrew “Andy” Thomas Vander Heyden, age 44, of Coeur d’Alene, lost his battle with ALS on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at Lakeside Rehabilitation and Care Center in Coeur d’Alene, ID. He was born on July 1, 1981 in Milwaukee, WI the son of Robert and Diane (DeWitt) Vander Heyden. Andy lived most of his life in Wisconsin, California and Idaho. At Northern Idaho College, he earned his GED then went on to study Computer Science. Andy had a varied work history. He had jobs in retail, at a theme park, as a bartender and, most recently, he was a taxi driver and dispatcher. He enjoyed history and science, playing cards, especially Black Jack where he was incredibly lucky. But his biggest passion was fantasy anime! Andy treasured friendships and time spent with his sister Karen and her family. He had a great sense of humor, a gentle, compassionate soul, and demonstrated kindness toward others, even when they didn’t deserve it. The award he was most proud of was given to him in middle school. His wrestling teammates voted to recognize Andy with the Good Sportsmanship Award. The coach said that it would have been unanimous except that Andy voted for someone else. This was the most powerful recognition anyone could receive!

The final days of Andy’s life were filled with hope. He was on cloud 9 and his positivity was infectious. He found things to look forward to, he saw goodness in his caregivers, he raised others’ spirits with his humor. He was able to look beyond ALS and hope for what God has in store for him next.

Andy is survived by his brother William “Billy” Vander Heyden, sister Karen (Joe) Sifford of Post Falls, ID, sister Tammy (DelRico) Luckey of Post Falls, ID many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, aunts, uncles and cousins.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff at Lakeside Rehabilitation and Care Center in Coeur d’Alene and NIACH Rehabilitation Hospital in Post Falls for their compassionate and outstanding care of Andy. Andy’s smile and contagious laugh will be greatly missed.