| Graduation Year | Class of 1967 |
| Date of Passing | Jun 13, 1969 |
| About | Andre (Andrew) Cechet was a friend and fellow fraternity member of mine at Penn State in the late 1960's. He was indeed a remarkable and unforgettable individual. We all has mixed emotions when Andre told us of his appointment to West Point and his imminent departure from Penn State's Happy Valley. In my last conversation with Andre, I reminded him that our fraternity (Delta Chi) has always opened our doors to the Cadets during the weekend of the Army-Penn State football game and that he and his fellow cadets were always welcome to what would always be his home at PSU. I did ask him to let us know if he was bringing more than ten of his classmates, though. Andre was due to report at West Point on July 1, 1969. He told his mother that he would take his 'last vacation' with his best friend, Benn Bakewell, and others at the beaches of Lake Erie. They stayed up all night on the 12th of June and left for Lake Erie with Benn very early on the morning of June 13th. Andre was driving his VW beetle and apparently fell asleep at the wheel, crossing the centerline of Route 19 five mile north of Mercer, Pennsylvania. Both Andre and Benn died upon impact. Andre was two months shy of his 20th birthday. Over the years, I have periodically visited Andre's crave, to remember him and contemplate a promising life ended so early. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/225337745/andrew-j.-cechet This past year, I discovered that Andre's mother is still alive, and paid her a visit along with a fellow fraternity brother and friend of more than 50 years. At 101 years of age, she is surprisingly sharp, and was delighted to meet the friends of her long departed son. We spent a few hours sharing memories of Andre. What I thought might be a difficult meeting turned into a delightful, if bittersweet experience. We met my goal of letting Joesphine know that when she passed, Andre would still be remembered. Jack Hufnagel, PSU class of 1971 |
