Numerous communities in Southwest Colorado lost a dear friend and iconic figure when Andrew Thomas Janowsky passed away unexpectedly at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs on February 10, 2021 at the age of 60. “Andy” as he was known to all, was a “mountain of a man” with a variety of talents and interests that included singing, songwriting, mountain biking, weight lifting, fly fishing and enjoying nature, whether in his backyard home outside of Durango or on the roads and trails of the San Juans, Sangre de Cristos and throughout the Southwest and Wyoming.

The word “iconic” may be overused, but it fits the personality, accomplishments, and scope of Andy’s influence perfectly. He was recognized by dozens and dozens of people throughout his home communities of Durango, Pagosa Springs, and the San Luis Valley.

His heart for people was as big as the territory he roamed, on foot, on his mountain bike, or in his truck, often with the High Rollers band equipment in tow with the words, “Caution, contains country music” painted on the side.

Born in Buffalo, New York on June 4, 1960, he was the third of Rev. Phil and Mary Jo Janowsky’s four children. He was a born entertainer, and as soon as he could talk he was showing off and trying to make people laugh. In a way, he was always on stage and whoever was listening was his audience.

Andy embraced the family faith and began singing in church at an early age. He later honored his childhood in a western Kansas pastor’s family on “Rural Route Religion,” an album of traditional hymns, as well as in original songs he wrote reflecting on his love of the culture he grew up in. He loved the farm community of his childhood and early adolescence.

The family moved to Colorado Springs in 1976 where Andy excelled in athletics, made a little mischief, and graduated from Fountain Ft. Carson High School in 1978. He then attended Fort Lewis College and graduated in 1982 with a degree in accounting.

Accounting didn’t suit his personality, and his interest in performing musically was growing. It wasn’t long before he tested the waters of performing on stage, playing bass and singing with a popular Durango band known as “Highway Robbery” for the next three years.

It was during this time that he met his future wife Linda Brumley. They were married on February 17,1985 in the Sargent Community Church, where Andy’s father was then pastor. Sargent turned out to be the very church Andy himself was pastoring at the time his untimely illness. Andy’s marriage was the joy of his life, and his love for Linda is reflected in numerous songs he wrote.

Between the years of 1985-1999 Andy served the city of Durango as a member of the Durango Police Department, a role that suited him well and one he enjoyed fully. A traditional motto of policemen everywhere is “protect and serve,” was something that Andy took immense pride in, as he took pride in the comradeship of the men he served with.

Perhaps Andy’s best known role was as the face of the High Rollers, a band that had small beginnings in 1995 and steadily grew their following. Quickly moving beyond the “bar band” phase, at their peak the High Rollers enjoyed playing large Festivals across western United States, France and Spain.

Always dear to his heart were the large local outdoor events where often there was a charitable component: the City of Durango’s Fourth of July Street Dance, the La Plata County Fair, Fiesta Days, the Archuleta County Fair, and a large outdoor concert each July in Pagosa Springs to raise money for the Pagosa Wrestling Club. Events like these were on the local annual calendars and were eagerly anticipated by the large crowds they served.

While music gave Andy a platform and recognition, performing never defined him in his own mind or to those close to him. The family faith he embraced as a child in Kansas continued to mature as it became his own faith and a deeper calling. In a move that surprised many, he retired from performing in October in 2019, and a year later he accepted a position as pastor in the Sargent Community Church in the San Luis Valley, where he served just a few months before his service was cut short by illness and death.

Constructing poems and lyrics and arranging music for them was one of his greatest passions. The song “That Place” could be seen as his personal obituary. Written ten years ago and recorded in 2012, the song highlights three treasured places in Andy’s world. First was Durango and the surrounding mountains:

There’s a place I know, that holds a bunch of my fondest memories, Of campfire nights, fish that love to fight, tall peaks and aspen trees...                                

If you shared a campfire, a mountain bike ride, a hunting or fishing expedition, or even a trip in a truck hauling grain during harvest, you were a part of “That Place” in Andy’s heart. The second verse is about family, and the special relationship he had with his wife of 37 years:

That Place…. Where we see forever, the way love was meant to be, That Place…. Where we stand together and we face life’s stormy seas...                               

The verse is about Andy’s wife Linda, but it could easily be broadened to immediate family, nephews, in-laws, family of in-laws, friends from western Kansas to Durango and across the ocean in France. If you were a friend of Andy anywhere and in any way, you were part of “That Place” for him.              In the final verse, Andy wrote about the ultimate place, a place that is beyond this life. The final verse of the song is fitting for this moment, a moment he faced fearlessly, knowing it would one day arrive.

When my race is run, and my work is done, and only by God’s grace,  On that day, I’m gonna fly away and be forever in That Place.                                                

“That Place” and more of Andy’s original music performed by the High Rollers Band can be found on youtube, itunes or Spotify. Search “High Rollers” or “High Rollers Band” if you’re interested and want to reminisce.

Andy is survived by his wife Linda Janowsky, father Phil Janowsky, sister Peggy Haslar (Rick), brothers Dan Janowsky (Nyana) and Mark Janowsky and nephews Ben Haslar, Matthew Haslar (Kate) Ronnie Janowsky (Michelle) and Caleb Janowsky. He is preceded in death by his mother Mary Jo (Wilson) Janowsky.         

A service for Andy will take place at 10:30 on Saturday, February 27, at the First Baptist Durango Church. Unfortunately current regulations restrict the number of people who can attend in person to 100, but the service also will be streamed at Centerpoint Church in Pagosa Springs and the Sargent Community Church. The family would be honored if those who cannot attend in person would join us at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfzntmgeOEtXHjFRY24k6sA, adding to the prayers and presence of this celebration of Andy’s life and the entrustment of his soul.

In the final line of his song “That Place” Andy offers a word of encouragement and hope to his friends everywhere: “Don’t you worry, and don’t be in a hurry I’ll be waiting for you in That Place.”