Andrew Malcom Pool

Andrew “Andy” Malcom Pool, 70, of Killeen, TX suddenly passed away unexpectedly on October 20th , 2025.

Services will be at the Gatesville Church of Christ, in Gatesville, TX on December 26 th , 2025 at 1030am. Visitation will be at 9am prior to services, with full military Honors and burial at the Central Texas Veteran’s Cemetary at 2pm the same day in Killeen, TX.

He is survived by his Children- Michelle Pool- Bryant, of Gatesville, TX, Brandi Pool-Williams and husband Travis, of Killeen, TX, Shane Pool, of Killeen, TX, Marysusan Pool, of Killeen, TX. Grandfather to Mychal Case and partner Daileen, of Killeen, TX, Sabrina Anderson and husband Andrew, of Abilene, TX, Trinidad Rios-Rios and wife Tionna, Ruben Rios-Rios, Kayla Williams all of Killeen, TX. Great grand kids, Midaly, Diomar, Darwin, Roxanne, and Samuel. Jane Pool His mother of California , sisters M. Pool of California and Bethany Anda of Illinois. His brother Michael Pool of California , and numerous neices and nephews.

Preceded in death: Stanley Pool, Mary Hernandez, Henry Cardenas, Louis Cardenas, Carol Martinez, Kathleen Cardenas, Fernando Cardenas, and Nathaniel Williams, Gina Stephens.

Born in Illinios to Stanley and Jane Pool, Andy was the eldest of 4 children, Maryann, Beth, and Mike, where he was raised until the age of 11 years old with his parents, 2 sisters and his brother. At age 11, Andy and the family moved to the Los Angeles area where he attended school, lived life on the beach riding his surf board, family life and completed High school before deciding to join the ARMY in 1972. After a few years he married the love of his life and his best friend Marysusan Cardenas who he shared his life with, together raising 3 children. A 3 time war veteran, joining the military at 17 years old during the Vietnam War until his retirement from the Army in 1993, his time in the military, took him all over the world like most that served. He attended schools in Virginia, Alabama, Washington State and several others as he made his way through the ranks of his career. Military assignments and travels took him far from family across the globe to different places like California, Washington state, Hawaii, Germany, Iraq, and Kuwait,and Texas just to name a few. With his wife by his side, and with their 3 children, they were able to experience and travel to various other countries together making memories. The likes of Italy, London, Holland, Germany, Brussels, train rides, numerous car rides and all around outdoor hikes and exploration was nothing short of wonderful family memories that were made. Eventually Texas would be home and retire for Andy after 22 years in the Army where found life as a civilian warming and very welcoming. Over the years both while serving the military and retired life, his passion for race cars, being an awsome mechanic and being self taught on how to tear apart and rebuild engines both in the yard and in the livin room on the floor or the coffee table, you would find him up early in the mornings and up way after midnight working on numerous cars. Often he could be known to help his co workers in a parking lot at the end of working all day, still in his uniform, because their cars would not start. He always said “that certification was just a piece of paper” and “I know more than some of them in a shop”. If it was broken on a car, he could fix it. If you were broke down , or needed help fixing stuff, everyone knew to call grampa or dad. If you needed a GOOD CAR, he woul dbe the one to tell you which was best. The girls were not allowed to buy jeeps though he said; they were “too dangerous”. If he wasn’t able to be there in person, often, you’d find if he wasn’t close to home, we would call dad to ask what was wrong with our car, for him to listen and trouble shoot and test things as if he was there. The boys and their car problems, he would be right next to them showing them what to look for, how to test things, and then have them fix it so they could do it next time they had problems. Like when he was a little boy next to his dad and cars, you could see grandsons pretending to work with him on his cars, pretending to be helping, getting a tool, or playing next to him the entire time, and eventually as adults working together. This mechanic skill has been passed to his oldest grandson over the last several years with grampa being away and helping. A skill that without grampa teaching, would not have been passed down and to eventually grow to love and enjoy. Andy’s passion for everything FORD, racing, motorcycles, and model cars with his opinions of different model vehicles was well known by everyone his whole life. You would even have conversation on his views about the current president while he would tell you which was the best president there ever was, Ronald Regan. You just never disagreed, and if he told you to vote for one, he’d ask if you voted for them and desipte who you did vote for, you’d tell him you voted for his president. Lol If he didn’t like a car, he’d tell you it was a terrible car. He would watch the shows on car reviews and say a fiat is only good if you put a mini cooper engine in it, other than that its only worth 100,000 miles if you’re lucky. Or how he hated a Dodge that they were just over priced junk. So just buy a ford and you will have the best vehicle you ever paid for, you could never go wrong with a FORD no matter what vehicle it was. Even early on as a child he could be seen outside next to his dad and a car or in the house, as an adult, building model boats, cars, airplanes, trains, houses or anything with such tiny details to paint, glue and make and place on his shelf to display. He’d be in trouble every single time he’d work on engines in the livingroom. He’d get that look and he’d say”whaaaaat? There is news paper under it”. Once,He even tried his hand at needle point and did fairly well,but only with one picture. Retirement allowed him to race, be with family and enjoy all the grandkinds and great grand kids when they were not in school while laughing and making jokes and enjoying their day. He would even be known to spend his entire afternoons laughing a lot, no directions to things while showing them how to put hot wheels race tracks together, build bicycles for them that they’d get (without directions again), or even showing them the ole pull my finger joke that made him laugh every time. Although Roxanne was the only one that was not a fan the very first time he told her to pull his finger and made that sound, when he laughed about it she looked at him as if POP POP had lost his mind and it was not funny while he laughed at her and said “what? You didn’t like that? It was funny”, she shook her head no. Hahaha. We all were subject to that joke, no one was safe. His last few years you could find Andy on motorcycles riding the country side with the wind in his face just being free, going to car shows, visiting places that he decided the night before to just go see or go do, always laughing, enjoying his cat, and having family meals with his famous beans and macaroni and bragging about you can’t have a meal without either of those and deviled eggs because you just didn’t know what you were missing out on. He always loved his siblings and parents no matter how far away he was. You would always hear him tell stories or talk about the different things as he grew up with them. He would tell about his mothers ham and potato casserole, her treats she would make from the rice crispies even way back then. He loved her cooking and her specialties when he was able to go visit. He lived his life in his last retirement days enjoying each days the joys of life gave him, visiting with friends, enjoying the company of his lady friends, being happy for all his children and getting to see all his grandkids and watching them grow up. His love for family was great and he loved with his whole heart. He had plans to celebrate with everyone, have Thanksgiving and Christmas together and of course his welcome home family meals when everyone would be where he could enjoy and laugh together with him. Gods plan was different this year, and so, he is celebrating in the heavens with all the other angels that welcomed him home. Always know this, he is, and always has been, proud of each you and loved you all more than he ever said sometimes. He was proud of everything you do in life, always love with all your heart like he did, and know he loved you everyday with his whole heart always, laugh at dumb stuff and know he’d ask you why. Have a family meal like he would when he was here, don’t make nasty beans or dried macaroni, only the good stuff. And know if it costs too much money, he’d approve, because you only live once, live it to the fullest. But most of all, thank god you are here another day because sometimes he would tell you he didn’t know how he was still here doing the dumb stuff he did…….and always BE. NICE. You made him proud as a son, brother, husband, dad, grampa and a pop pop. May he walk next to us in paradise every day and by each of your side, and not tired or in pain anymore. He’s driving that ford mustang or riding that Harley motorcycle through them golden gates and laughing everyday. Remember the good stuff he taught you or the things he did, he’s smiling and cheering you on for eternity. Till you see him again, he will be sure to meet you at the pearly golden gates.