Remembrances

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From Peter Holzer:

I had no better friend than Andrew.

     We met in early 1970 when Andrew transferred from London to join the New York credit training program. Both of our families lived in Brooklyn Heights (along with a bunch of other Chase trainees), where we cemented the family friendship through sharing babysitting duties so we could enjoy a social life on our meager Chase salaries. One memory of that time that still sticks with me is the evening we enjoyed a night on the town together that featured Andrew taking to the ice at Rock Center dressed in white tie and tails!

     After our stint in the training program, Chase saw fit to never assign us to the same country until 1983, but we did remain in touch and started a tradition of joint Christmas dinners as we would fly from London to Belgium to join the Greatrex family for the holidays. In 1983, both of us were back in New York, and we reestablished the annual family Christmas dinner gathering. We also started another tradition: annual family ski vacations. We initially went to frigid Vermont, and when we couldn’t handle that any more, moved on to the West and eventually settled on Jackson Hole for multiple trips. By then our kids were old enough so that while Andrew and I picked our way through the moguls in Laramie Bowl, the younger generation would have to wait patiently at the bottom, having zipped right past us.

     Andrew began a second career in 1990 as a Certified Financial Planner, and the Holzers were one of his first clients, along with a number of other Chase colleagues who valued Andrew’s honesty, knowledge, and judgment. His advice was invaluable as our lives inevitably became more complicated.

     Andrew has left us way too early, but at least the sadness that has engendered is leavened by the many great memories brought about by a friendship of almost 50 years.

 
From Walter Simson (2/1/21): I just learned of Andrew’s passing. I always thought his name was appropriate, i.e. “great-rex” or great king.  
     Andrew was a wonderful boss. He took me into syndications as an immature associate and treated me with kindness and consideration beyond my deserts. 
     I remember being invited to a dinner party at the family home in Maplewood, NJ. To this day I think of Maplewood as being the apex of gracious living, of course resting on the memory of his and his family’s warmth.

 

In Memoriam:
Andrew Greatrex, 72

 
The CAA mourns the passing of CAA member Andrew Greatrex, 72, who died on December 5, 2018 in Pennsylvania. A former Vice President in Western Hemisphere Finance / Capital Markets, he died from complications of mesothelioma.
 
He had lived in the New York area since moving from his native England in 1977. 
 

Born in Nottingham, Greatrex was educated at Sherborne School and Durham University and spent his corporate career with Chase, with stints in Belgium and London, as well as 15 years in New York.

 

After Chase, Greatrex obtained his CFP designation and founded Integrated Financial Services, providing financial planning services.

 

He is survived by his wife, Harriette, as well as sons Nicholas and Peter, both also Chase alumni. He leaves behind five grandchildren and two dogs.