Andrew Ernest Maser was born in Detroit, Michigan on December 17, 1928. His father was an electrician and his mother was a homemaker. Andrew was the youngest of four children. He had two brothers and a sister.
in the 1940's, Andrew was privileged to attend Cass Technical High School, a special polytecnic high school in downtown Detroit. After graduating, he became an apprentice electrician with his father.
When the Korean conflict started, Andrew enlisted in the Navy, and served for four years. After his first year of training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois, the poor soul suffered his tour of duty as a radar technician assigned to the Naval Station on the pristine, picturesque island of Bermuda. Poor soul indeed.
After his tour ended, Andrew returned to Michigan to pursue a career in electronic engineering. He specialized in "electronic warfare," working on radar, tasers and, appropriately, MASER (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) technology.
Upon completing his degree at Wayne State University, Andrew went to work for Westinghouse in Baltimore, Maryland. As part of his continuing education, he attended a school for more specialized training in electronics. He was a natural in his field, working for Westinghouse for the next six years.
In 1964, Andrew moved to Redondo Beach, California where he took a job with Litton Industries and then for TRW, Inc. It was during this time that he met and married Marilyn Meyers, a professional dancer. The couple moved to Studio City.
Another opportunity came when he accepted a position at Hughes Aircraft in Fullerton, California. Tragedy soon followed when his wife died unexpectedly of a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Andrew continued to work at Hughes, but soon tired of the daily commute to and from Fullerton. Fortunately, his friend Ross Iwamoto took Andrew's application to Ben Rich of the Lockheed Corporation, who hired him immediately. In less than two weeks, Andrew was working in the Advanced Development Division, often referred to as the Skunk Works. He worked there until his retirement in 1991.
While working for Lockheed, Andrew met another dancer, Patti Cox. They were married on November 28, 1981. Patti was an instructor at Glendale Community College for 27 years.
During their retirement, Andrew and Patti traveled extensively. They enjoyed caring for their garden, making jam and apple sauce from their fruit trees for friends and neighbors. They were both "Gym Rats" who worked out religiously at least five days a week. They were members of The Power Source Gym, World Gym and the Burbank Athletic Club.
Besides a lifetime love of electronics and technology, Andrew enjoyed a wide range of interests including astronomy, politics, gardening and cooking. He was a survivor of bladder cancer and a hip replacement. Although he was still extraordinarily fit, he succumbed to pancreatic cancer and died at home among family and friends on Saturday evening, July 10, 2010. He was 81. His siblings predeceased him, his sister having passed away only two weeks before. Andrew is survived by his wife Patti and his step-son Steve, a paramedic in Tampa, Florida.