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Andrew Gerke: “The kid lived for music”

By Zach Dionne

Posted on Thursday, April 16th, 2009, 12:00 am

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Most photographs of Andrew Gerke show him striking a wide-open smile. The possibility that these were artificial, “say cheese” moments fades as a true picture surfaces of the short life of the University of Maine alumnus. The stories his friends and loved ones tell paint Gerke as a spirited, driven man with passions as varied as his grins.

“He was one of those people blessed with having a smile that instantly makes you smile when you see it. I’m going to miss that,” stated Brandon Aaskov, a friend of Gerke’s since seventh grade, in an e-mail. Aaskov began a Facebook group, “News about Andrew Gerke” shortly after Gerke’s car crash and admission to Maine Medical Center. The group had 527 members by press time, mourning and commemorating Gerke, who was 24 years old.

“I’m trying to celebrate his life and all the good times we had together instead of mourning his death. He was just too lively and happy a person, I think he’d rather people smile when they think of him instead of cry,” Aaskov said. He set up a PayPal donation system for Gerke’s family and funeral arrangements Tuesday morning after Gerke’s death. At press time, $1,295 had been raised in roughly 36 hours.

“I’m in shock. It’s just been such a whirlwind,” said Katy McAlister, Gerke’s sister. The siblings were two years apart and best friends, she said.

“My brother was an amazing guy. He was a mentor to a lot of people,” she said, adding they closely shared interests and friends. McAlister has been with the family in Biddeford since Tuesday. “We had a hard life together – our parents were divorced, we pretty much only had each other.”

Gerke graduated from the University of Maine in December with a degree in civil engineering. He studied and spoke German. He was a brother in Sigma Phi Epsilon and acted as one of the “naked five” at UMaine hockey games – a zealous group of shirtless fans with the letters M-A-I-N-E painted on their chests. He was vice president of the Sophomore Owls Honor Society.

Gerke was a world traveler. His Facebook shows him in Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, England and Ireland. He volunteered in Chicago for Alternative Spring Break in 2008 and coordinated YouthAIDS events as well as Rock Against Rape at UMaine.

Nearly every personal account of Gerke involved his inseparable ties to music – he was an avid percussionist and horn player.

“That kid lived for music. That’s where he felt the best, was through music. It was so much more than just an outlet for him,” student Jess Long said. She grew up on Gerke’s street and saw him every day in her sophomore year of high school. Like Gerke’s closest friends, she knew him as Andy. “He was a band geek and proud of it.”

Friend Daniel Raphael Cooper in an e-mail called Gerke “probably the most disciplined musician I’ve known,” saying he was a “serious musical inspiration” for him.

Gerke was a member of many marching, jazz and pep bands in his life. He marched with several drum corps, including the Boston Crusaders on trumpet in 2005 and the Phantom Regiment on mellophone in 2006. He traveled to Florida several times with ensembles. On Sunday Gerke told a Maine Campus editor that he was looking forward to seeing Killswitch Engage and Chimaira live this weekend in Portland.

Jamie Reinhold was a percussionist several years behind Gerke at South Portland High School.

“Andy came back every year to help out with our rehearsals and shows. He pushed students hard but in a kind and helpful way, and everyone respected him,” she stated in an e-mail, calling his enthusiasm “contagious.”

“One of my fondest memories is of him walking around our ‘practice field’ – a parking lot, actually – with his clipboard. After a really hard set, he came up to me and told me I had really good marching technique. That compliment from Andy made my night,” Reinhold said.

“I’ve had so many tell me that he’s been just such an inspiration to them,” McAlister said. She called her brother someone people could always talk to.

As vice president for Student Entertainment for most of autumn 2008, Gerke booked two high-profile acts, Dropkick Murphys and O.A.R., for one semester. Earlier, he worked on the final Bumstock in 2006, the MTVU Tour, Dashboard Confessional and Ben Folds with a resume stretching as far back as Gavin Degraw in April 2005.

“I think the students are going to love it,” Gerke said in September in an interview about the Dropkick Murphys concert. He prided himself on the cheap ticket prices he’d created for students. He said he wanted to give students and first-time concertgoers “a good time and show them what a concert’s about.”

“He’s bigger than life,” Long said. She characterized Gerke’s impossible-to-pinpoint personality as “a professional young person.”

“He looks you in the eye when he talks to you and he makes you feel like you’re there, and he sees you,” Long said. She continued to shift between past and present tense in remembering her friend.

“He was hilarious, he was fun to be around, but he knew how to get down to business,” stated alumnus Brett Sowerby in an e-mail. “I probably only know him a fraction better than the hundreds of other students Andrew interacted with – I think that was one of the great things about it: He was able to make people feel like they were great friends and truly important to him. I think he really did think they were important to him.”

Director of Campus Activities and Events Gustavo Burkett knew Gerke personally and in a professional capacity, working together to craft student entertainment.

“Just talking with alumni and Sig Ep, I’ve heard more stories today than I’ve heard in years,” Burkett said on Tuesday. “He was always energized about something. He was a very positive person.”

“You would be talking about something very serious, and he would make up a word in the middle of a sentence and you’re like, ‘What?’ Then you’ll realize he just made that up. He had fun with what he was doing,” said Burkett, a Sig Ep alum.

Gerke’s Sig Ep brother and Student Government President Owen McCarthy said 15 to 20 brothers and alumni went to the hospital Monday and Tuesday.

Many Sig Ep members and friends of Gerke spent Tuesday in the fraternity’s library, consoling each other and reminiscing.

“We started telling some stories about Andrew, some funny stories,” McCarthy said. He remembered Gerke’s sense of style – specifically his stylish glasses – as a first impression.

“He made a point when you were new in the fraternity to meet you, get to know you. He really connected with you pretty immediately.”

His favorite Andrew Gerke story is last summer, when McCarthy was living in Ohio.

“He knew I was by myself, so he used to just call to talk. He was like, ‘Oh, I’m coming to Cincinnati,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s great,’” McCarthy said. “And Andrew’s like, ‘I can’t see you, though. I just wanted to let you know I’d be in the area.’ Oh, thank you, Andrew, thanks a lot.” Like many nice-guy stories about Gerke, McCarthy’s has a comic bite.

“He definitely was the typical ’salt of the earth’ Mainer that would give you the shirt off his back even if you didn’t ask for it,” Aaskov said.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department chair Eric Landis was Gerke’s advisor and professor. They were acquainted since Gerke was a first-year student. Landis called him likable and personable with “very diverse interests.” They met at least once per semester.

“He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but he obviously had many opportunities in front of him,” Landis said.

Aaskov said Gerke attained an almost competitive zeal when he faced adversity.

“I’ve tried pretty hard to take that kind of attitude toward life, and I still have a hard time,” Aaskov stated in an e-mail. “You know when you see someone like Tony Hawk do a trick and you think, ‘He makes that look so easy?’ That’s how I felt about Andy.”

Aaskov said Gerke applied to more than 60 employers recently.

“It was strange how he said it though. He was just commenting on the economy, not complaining or looking for sympathy,” Aaskov said.

Burkett acknowledged it is “a painful time” and encouraged the community to find personally suitable ways to deal with their grief. He recommended UMaine’s Counseling Center.

“Use each other, because there’s no one better than someone who knew the person to help you remember,” Burkett said.

Two funeral visitation sessions will be at Hobbs Funeral Home in South Portland on Friday, April 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

A celebration of Gerke’s life will be held Saturday April 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Cape Elizabeth – guests are encouraged to bring musical instruments. Detailed directions to both events are available on the Facebook group “News about Andrew Gerke.”