WESTERLO — “The kindest, hardest-working, most patient man in the world decided it was time to leave this life and begin the ultimate retirement on June 11th, 2021,” wrote the family of Andrew Christopher Marrone Sr. He was 78.

Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Marrone was the son of the late Charles and Madeline (née Marino) Marrone. His siblings — Rose Spinnato, Bartholomew Marrone, and Charles Marrone Jr. — died before him.

“Also awaiting him will be his loving wife, Anita, who will undoubtedly bring him up to speed and be ready with a to-do list,” his family wrote.

The tribute described Mr. Marrone as “an amazing husband and father,” stating, “He loved his family, did everything every great husband and father does and more. Three crazy kids and a wife were probably part of the reason that he consistently worked 70-plus hours a week for most of his life.

“Despite his unparalleled work ethic, Andy Sr. never missed his kids’ concerts, games, graduations, or birthdays. It continued with his grandchildren’s events and celebrations; he adored his family.

“Years later, he’d look forward to putting his feet up at his son’s and daughter-in-law’s house for Saturday movie nights where he’d usually fall asleep 10 minutes into the movie, but wake up as the credits were rolling and say, ‘That was a good one!’

“From his first job picking grapes when he was 7 years old to starting his own business when he was 20, Andrew had an incredible work ethic. He ran the M&M Bakery for 57 years and made it seem easy. His Italian bread and rolls were delicious, but Andy’s customers liked him just as much, if not more, than his bread. He was friends and friendly with all of the customers and always had a smile on his face or a joke to share.

“As a kid, Andrew enjoyed baseball, and throughout his life he listened to the Yankees games on the radio while working alongside his second son, who followed in his footsteps with the bakery business. Andrew never complained — even when the Yankees lost or he’d only had a couple of hours of sleep. His famous quote when asked how he was doing was, ‘I can’t complain!’ He was a glass-half-full kind of guy!

“Andrew loved sharing meals with his family and always looked forward to dessert — especially his daughter-in-law’s apple pie — and he never met a cheesecake that he didn’t like! Muffins held a special place in his heart and he was a master at making French toast on Sunday mornings and grilling by the pool.

“He loved the color red, cracking jokes, and scratch-off lottery tickets; he hated history (unless it was related to baseball) and was an amazing dancer ‘back in the day!’ On occasion, he and Anita, his wife and dance partner of 59 years, would show the kids how it was done while cutting the rug to ‘Rock Around the Clock!’

“A baseball cap on his head, a pen behind his ear, and sitting behind the wheel in his van, this hard-working family man didn’t just run a successful business. He constructed furniture for his daughter’s bedroom, built most of his family’s house, helped his son build a shed, built decks, and repaired anything and everything. Andy also played a mean game of post-dinner ping-pong, although nobody was quite sure if his rules were legit!

“Often funded by spare change saved all year in a big jar, Andrew and Anita drove their kids up and down the East Coast many times for vacations. Whether it was teetering at the edge of a foggy road in the mountains of Virginia, backing up onto someone’s lawn in Boston, or driving the wrong way on a one-way with a camper in tow, family road trips were the stuff of legends!

“Andrew leaves behind many people who adored him. He was, in his own words, ‘The handsomest father in the world’” to Andy Marrone Jr. and his wife, Lana; Adam Marrone; and April Zhang and her husband, Wei.

He is also survived by his grandchildren, Brittany Quinn and her husband, Conor, Jordan Marrone and his wife, Kayla, and Cenzia Zhang; and by his cute-as-a-button great-granddaughter, Sloane Elizabeth Quinn.

“If you would like to honor Andrew’s memory,” his family wrote, “kindly support a family-owned or local business.”

Memorial messages may be left at www.altamontenterprise.com/milestones.

Memorial services will be held on Tuesday, June 22, at 4:30 p.m. at the South Westerlo Congregational Christian Church, 282 County Route 405.