A simple quote from St. Augustine starts the first — and only — blog entry on Andrew Wade’s website: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Wade, who died in Nepal on Sept. 25, was clearly too busy living out that passion to write about it. “It was like he was trying to cram all of his life into three or four years,” said his mother, Julie, of Denver.
The 26-year-old Denver native and 2003 George Washington High School graduate was tackling both personal and professional goals at a frenetic pace when a plane carrying him and 18 others crashed on its way back from a fly-by of Mount Everest. All aboard the tourist flight were killed.
Wade’s father, Don, said digital photos salvaged from Andrew’s camera, found in the wreckage, confirmed that his son got to see the world’s highest mountain before the crash, one of the many travel goals he was determined to accomplish before he turned 30.
At the time of his death, Wade was halfway through a six-week work-placement program in India.
He was using his skill in visual analytics — an emerging field that combines analytical reasoning and visual manipulation of data sets — to help safety engineers reduce bird strikes on airliners.
Brian Fisher, Wade’s professor and master’s thesis adviser at Simon-Fraser University in Surrey, British Columbia, said that in only three weeks of troubleshooting, Wade’s work led to changes in five Boeing aircraft and amendments to pilot-training manuals.
His progress proved so impressive that Boeing had created a job for him in Seattle that he was to begin when he finished his master’s degree.
Between field work and globetrotting, Wade managed to complete and submit his master’s thesis the night before his final flight. Don Wade accepted his son’s master of science degree in a special ceremony Oct. 6.
Wade received his undergraduate degree in cognitive science from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where he was an accomplished soccer player on the school’s club team.
Andrew Wade was born in Denver on May 26, 1985. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his sister, Laura.
A public celebration of his life will be at 2 p.m. today in the fellowship hall of Denver First Church in Englewood.
A scholarship fund in Wade’s honor has been established at First Bank, 8901 E. Hampden Ave., Denver 80231.
Weston Gentry: 303-954-1054 or wgentry@denverpost.com
