Andrew ‘Andy’ John Ketley

Remembering Andrew ‘Andy’ John Ketley 8th December 1964 – 22nd April 2023 by Corinna Alderton  

Although Andys death was not due to addiction, he was nearly two years sober and was a big part of the Sobertown community. He supported me greatly with my sobriety and connected with many of my on-line friends. He would join in on calls, videos and chats with me and join in the fun and antics, often not even knowing what the hell was going on or why we were wearing tea towels on our heads! We would ride out together and meet other sober warriors all over the UK. One of his dreams was to get to America and ride out in Drifters truck with him for the night and just listen to his stories. Unfortunately, whilst he had a great life and did many things, we didn’t make it out to America but I like to think of him now chewing the cud with Pollya’s Dan, kicking up their heels and talking the hind legs off a donkey or two!  

Andy was born in Billericay in Essex, England and spent a lot of time in Lake Meadow’s Park with his friends, many of whom he was still in touch with him when he died. He also belonged to the Cubs, Scouts and ATC in his youth and his love for Airplanes and history around the first and second world wars were a constant theme throughout his life. Along with his love of cars, motorbikes and anything mechanical (he would even pull wheelies on the sit on mower from time to time!) He’s other love was of wood and his main career was that of a carpenter. Sadly, I think it is probably the formaldehyde exposure from some of the wood and glues he worked with that caused his illness and subsequent death.  

I met Andy in 2000 and, despite being madly in love, we both drank very heavily. We were 35 and I think he had been drinking fairly heavily for 10 years. We split up in 2008 but remained good friends throughout. In 2009 he was diagnosed with leukemia and in 2012 a bone marrow transplant saved his life and he went into remission. He did not drink during any of his treatment and could take or leave it after this.  I, however, drank at least a bottle of wine every night for 22 years.

In 2020 I was medically retired from my nursing career due to physical illness and disability.  My husband left me and I had to sell my house and almost everything I had to downsize but I also got back with the love of my life – Andy.  He believed in me, and in turn, I started to believe in myself again, and on 5th August 2020 I started my sobriety journey for the last time.  Unfortunately, just a few months later Andy’s leukaemia returned.  Despite this, and monthly hospital treatments, we began a motorbike tour of the UK coast spreading the word on positive living with sobriety and disability.  We managed to ride anticlockwise from Bristol to Scarborough before he became too poorly to ride.  We spent most of our time from September 2022 in hospitals. We still talked of our plan to ride the coast of Wales and Ireland if we could manage it.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, as Andy died peacefully in hospital, on 22nd April holding my hand  

Whilst I am devastated by Andy’s passing, it was such an honour and privilege to walk him home, and I am extremely grateful for my sobriety which enabled me to do this.  My life, like many others,, will never be the same again. But I like to think that it is so much richer for having had Andy in it.  

I plan to continue on our journey in his memory and honour it with my continued sobriety, of which he was so proud.  

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Mark Edward Bittle