80, of Honolulu, passed away at home on January 9th from complications due to Parkinson's Disease. Jim was born on 31 October 1942 in Minneapolis, MN to James Edward Andrews and Marie Adelaide (Jones) Andrews. He was raised in Fort Snelling, MN and Vilcey-sur-Tres, France where his father served with the U.S. Air Force at Toul-Rosieres Air Base. Jim attended the Saint Paul Academy in Minnesota (class of '59) and graduated from Amherst College ('63), majoring in Geology. He earned his Doctorate in Geophysics and Oceanography at the University of Miami ('67) and that same year, began teaching at the University of Hawai'i Manoa (UHM).Jim was faculty in UHM's Department of Oceanography and the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics from 1967-1981, and was Department Chair from 1973-1976. He participated in three research cruises of the Deep Sea Drilling Project in the South Atlantic and was chief scientist on two more cruises in the South Pacific.
At UH Manoa he initiated work with the U.S. Navy's 3rd Fleet to use sonar systems for rapid side scan mapping of the deep-sea floor. In 1975, Jim was awarded The Humboldt Prize by the Alexander von Humboldt Association for his work in geological oceanography, particularly research on marine sediments, deep sea mineral deposits, and manganese nodules. He was also elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of America.
In 1981, Jim married Nona Ako, of Honolulu, and together they moved to Louisiana after Jim was named Associate Technical Director, and then Technical Director, for the Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity (NORDA) at the National Space Technology Laboratory at the NASA Stennis Space Center.
Their son, James (Jay) G. Andrews was born in New Orleans, LA in 1984, and the family relocated to London, England in 1986 where Jim was appointed Scientific Director of the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) European Office. Jim served as the Navy's liaison to European allies' oceanographic and naval research facilities throughout Europe until 1991 when the family moved to McLean, Virginia. There, Jim served as ONR's Director of Applied Oceanography and Acoustics at the Pentagon.
From 1995-2001, Jim worked in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (N091) as Director of Science and Technology Requirements, Chief Scientist, and Deputy for Science & Technology for the Navy Office of Test & Evaluation and Technology Requirements. From 2001-2006 Jim was ONR's Associate Director for Interagency Affairs, representing the Department of Defense (DOD) in Climate Change Science & Technology programs and helping to prepare the U.S. Strategic Plans for Climate Science and Climate Technology. In all, Jim was a member of the U.S. Navy's Senior Executive Service for 26 years and was a two-time recipient of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award.
In 2006, Jim joined Honolulu-based Oceanit Laboratories, establishing Oceanit's Washington DC office. He retired in 2014 and he and Nona returned to Honolulu, Hawai'i to be closer to family and friends. In 2015 Jim was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.
Jim is survived by his wife, Nona Ako Andrews, their son, James G. Andrews and his wife Dr. Jennifer Wu, his brother Robert G. Andrews MD and his wife Carol A. Chellino RN, MPH, and their son Joseph E. Andrews. He is also survived by numerous cousins and extended family.
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