Founder Andrews profile

By DAVE WOHLFARTH

Danny and Carolyn Andrews answer to “Poppy” and “Maymee” these days.

They’re in the grandparenting game.

They moved from their beloved Plainview to Burleson, about 10 miles south of Fort Worth, five years ago to be closer to their seven grandkids.

Danny, co-founder of this basketball magazine 50 years ago, now attends wrestling, volleyball and soccer matches played by his grandchildren.

“Following the grandkids’ sports keeps me busy,” said Danny, who just turned 74 in October.

Of course, he’s always followed sports. He played a couple of years of baseball and one season of football at Plainview High School. Later he spent eight years as sports editor of the Plainview Daily Herald. He officiated basketball for 15 years and umpired baseball for 20. He did radio broadcasts of football, basketball and baseball games over a 40-year period. However, possibly the best move he made in high school was not excelling in math. Danny said he met Carolyn Fuson in a “dummies’ geometry class.” They’ve been married 62 years and have three children – Brandon, Kayla and Brad. Brandon lives in Burlington, Pennsylvania. But Kayla is Danny Andrews in nearby Dallas and Brad in Burleson.

The grandkids range in age from 20 to 1.

Danny is active in a few more activities than answering to “Poppy.”

He works part-time – officiating as a deacon – at Mountain Valley Funeral Home, located about 10 miles from his house.

On Sundays, he’s teaching 7- and 8-year-olds in a Sunday school class at First Baptist Church in Burleson. He also sings in the choir.

He’s president of the local Gideons Bible group. Just recently he gave up working at the local food bank. He’s always been active, involved in many civic organizations.

“Keeps me off the street,” Danny said. “I enjoy people. That’s the main thing.”

Danny graduated from Wayland Baptist University in 1972 with a degree in history. He edited the school paper and served as WBU’s sports information director. His association with the school covered almost 50 years. Danny and Carolyn Andrews and family

He already had begun working for the Plainview Daily Herald when he was a senior in high school. That employment lasted nearly 40 years.

After his stint as the Daily Herald’s sports editor, he moved up to editor shortly before the Hearst Corporation bought the paper.

He stayed in that position for 28 years, writing two columns a week and riding herd on local affairs. The paper won numerous press awards under his direction.

“I was the longest tenured editor in the Hearst Corporation,” Danny proudly stated.

He also was heavily involved in the Plainview community, serving as a leader in the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Noon Optimist Club and Salvation Army Advisory Committee.

Danny was named Plainview’s 1995 Man of the Year.

After he retired from the Daily Herald, he became the alumni director at Wayland Baptist. He was inducted into Wayland’s Athletic Hall of Honor in 2006.

Danny also is a member of the Panhandle Press Association’s Hall of Fame. In 2014 he authored a book, Things I Have Saw and Did, featuring 250 stories.

Wonder if that book could add a chapter on grandparenting.