Charismatic, loving, talented, big-hearted, with a great smile and sense of humor
Andrew Cutler had a contagious smile, a wicked sense of humor, and a twinkle in his eye. He loved pulling pranks and making people laugh. Growing up, his smile charmed the girls and even his teachers had a hard time not laughing at the funny things Andrew did to get himself in trouble.
As a boy, he had no fear. He loved riding BMX bikes and skateboarding. He got his first tattoo at 16, from a friend. Soon Andrew learned the craft himself and became a talented tattoo artist. He wanted to get his license.
Andrew had many tattoos, on his arms, legs, chest and neck. It was a way for him to express himself. When he started adding them to his face, his mother forbade him to get another one as long as he was under her roof. His answer? He got her name tattooed above one eye. “He laughed,” his mom, Michelle said. “He thought it was funny, because how could I kick him out if it was my name, you know?”
The other name tattoo Andrew had was for his son, Josiah — the love of his life, and his mini-me. They loved spending time together, especially outdoors playing sports, walking to the store, and just playing and making each other laugh. Andrew taught Josiah to ride his bike and jump off the diving board, and still today he will yell “Waypa!” in excitement, just like his dad did. Being a dad was Andrew’s great joy.
Andrew struggled in public school but eventually went to a private day school and received his high school diploma. He became addicted to drugs in his late teens. It was a five year battle, that included trips in and out of treatment and arrests. He died after taking fentanyl, thinking it was heroin.
“The most difficult thing for me, being his mother, was to have to watch him struggle and suffer,” Michelle said. “He was in and out of the court systems and always treated like a criminal with people not understanding that this is an illness. There aren’t enough resources and help available for those addicted to drugs, and jail was not the right answer to his problems.”
Today Michelle works to keep Andrew’s memory alive and to combat the stigma and fallacy that addiction isn’t a disease. There are annual celebrations on his birthday and “angelversary.” Andrew’s photo is on an Angels Across America trailer and a billboard promoting Fentanyl awareness. Michelle has also advocated for changes in laws to hold drug dealers more accountable for trafficking that results in death.
“Nobody cared when my son died, nobody cared,” Michelle said. “The police, the state troopers, they were just going to rule it an overdose. They didn’t want to do an autopsy. They didn’t care about the texts with the dealer. It’s like they chalked it up to another statistic and it’s not right.”
“We all miss him and not a day goes by that I don’t think about him and cry about it. He was my world, and now his son doesn’t have a dad.”
Andrew’s mother, Michelle Cutler, provided the information for this narrative.
June 27, 1997–November 17, 2021-Age 24
Portrait Artist: Jeremy Hebbel
Narrative Writer: Lynne Mixson
