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Accident claims UI sophomore Andrew Pitino

by Leah Andrews
assistant news editor

Logging on to Andrew Pitino's web site is akin to bringing the gentle 20-year-old back to life.
On the site, Pitino shares his passions for computer science, Japanese and the movie "Willow."
He writes about his third year as a Computer Science major at the University of Idaho and his dreams of being a systems analyst. He tells readers about his favorite basketball team, the Utah Jazz, and the Flying Pie Pizzeria, his favorite place to get pizza in Boise.
Andrew liked being in Boise, his hometown, and he spent the Thanksgiving holiday there with his parents and siblings.
He and his sister Jennifer, a law student at UI, were headed back to school on Sunday when the van they drove slid into the oncoming lane of traffic on U.S. Highway 95 near Craigmont.
Andrew died instantly when a truck collided with the passenger side of the van. Jennifer was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston and released Tuesday night.
Stephen Pitino said he still cannot believe his son is dead.
"We had a real nice Thanksgiving, he and his sisters and brother set up the Christmas tree for us," he said.
In his son's obituary, Stephen Pitino described Andrew as "the best" - playful but kind, trusting but not naïve, and a wonderful son and brother.
Stephen Pitino said Andrew was his best friend and he treasures the memories of special outings he shared with Andrew in the last few years, including a Mariners game and trips to the Bruneau Dunes State Park and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks this summer.
"He was going places that meant something to him," Stephen Pitino said.
Andrew did not waste time on anything he considered trivial.
"He had a love for the truth and he was always a good sport."
In fact, Andrew's Web site links to the U.S. Constitution. He calls it, "The greatest document ever drafted by mankind."
Lynn Baird, the head of Access Services at the University of Idaho Library where Andrew worked as a shelver since August, said he was a kind and conscientious person.
"All of his notes were really thoughtful, trying to make sure I didn't worry about things," Baird said.
Andrew enjoyed his job and worked meticulously. Family members, employers and co-workers all noticed his dedication to the library.
"I get this feeling that this person was really connected with the great thoughts of the world," Baird said.
Coworker Laura Barker remembers how Andrew would ride his bike to work in the summer. She said he was a person who had a fondness for the library.
"He had a way . . . he could get you to do anything. I worked so many extra hours," Barker said.
She describes her coworker as a quiet nice person who always got his work done.
"He seemed like a book person," Barker said. "He had a signature on his e-mail that said 'The point of good books is not how many you can get through, but how many can get through to you.'"
Andrew's coworkers have collected money to send flowers to his funeral and one student is donating his pay from the shift he and Andrew shared to the Library Scholarship fund.
Besides working at the library Andrew enjoyed creating Web pages and wrote security computer codes for UI. He took Japanese courses and liked to make homemade pizza.
Andrew was a creature of habit who thrived in familiar settings, his father said.
"He was a fish out of water up at school," Pitino said.
One of Andrew's traditions was visiting the same barbershop in Boise. When he could not get to Boise for a couple of months, Pitino simply let his hair grow.
"Andy had a lot of affection for traditions and old routines," Stephen Pitino said. "He really hated losing old things that he was comfortable with."
Many of those who knew Andrew wish they had the chance to know him better, but they all remember his kindness.
"He was one of those guys who just sat in the group and listened to people talk," said Robert Anderson, a senior computer science major. "He was one of those people who only shared a lot of his personality if you were really close to him."
Jim Alves-Foss supervised Andrew when he worked on the UI security project writing code, and said he was too young for this to happen.
"He was a lot like most students his age: He was still trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life and he was trying to make plans," Alves-Foss said. "He had his whole life ahead of him."
Vigil services were Thursday at Summers Funeral Home in Boise. Funeral services are today in Boise.
Surviving family members include his parents Stephen and Jean Mary, and his siblings Jennifer, Cynthia and Nicholas.

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