Andrew Ciapalo (February 8, 1953 - January 7, 2025) was a kind and gentle soul with a profound sense of independence. Andy was born in Argentina, the son of Peter and Oksana (Sawyn) Ciapalo who were refugees displaced from their native Ukraine by the Second World War. At age 5 he, along with his parents and older brother, emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Chicago. There he earned two Master's degrees (Physics from Loyola University and Chemistry from DePaul University). He taught mathematics for a time and then worked for an actuarial firm. It was at a company conference that he met his beloved Wendy (Moss) who worked for the same firm at their Seattle headquarters. They had much in common, including their intense love of animals, and after some months of long-distance romance, Andy packed his belongings and his eleven cats into his car and headed for Seattle! There he and Wendy had a loving and warm life together until her untimely passing in 2010. They, among many other things, devoted themselves to adopting and caring for rescue dogs in the last stages of life. You might say that they cheerfully and lovingly ran a canine hospice service from their home in North Seattle. Often accompanied by his younger dog cronies, Andy was an avid hiker and mountaineer and also had a keen interest in rock climbing and bouldering. He was also an accomplished practitioner of the martial arts, specializing in judo and kendo. As employment, Andy founded and ran his own retirement and benefit services company for many years and was active in the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce. And on weekends he greatly enjoyed getting together with his neighbors to root for the Seahawks! (We thank those same neighbors, Chris and Daniel Gray and family, for their selfless help and support during Andy's final illness.) Andy is survived by his brother Roman and sister-in-law Nancy, who live in Dubuque, Iowa, as well as by Wendy's sisters Diane and Dayle Moss and their extended families. We will all miss Andy's high energy, quick wit, Chicago-style humor, and constant compassion. Requiescat In Pace.