Col. Andrew John “Pablo” Shurtleff

Colonel Andrew John “Pablo” Shurtleff (USAF Retired), beloved husband and father, treasured son and brother, passed away on Friday, May 23, 2025, at the age of 48 in Yorktown, Virginia.Andy was born in Iowa and spent most of his childhood in Brookfield, Wisconsin. From as early as he could remember, Andy was passionate about aviation. His primary goal was to become a fighter pilot and everything in his life zeroed in on that path. Along that road, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and graduated from Brookfield Central High School where he made lifelong friends and met his future wife. He also became a private pilot and earned his degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University. At Purdue, he was actively involved in Air Force ROTC and Arnold Air Society.
After graduating from Purdue, Andy was commissioned into the United States Air Force. He earned his wings at Sheppard Air Force base in Wichita Falls, Texas in July 2001. The same night he earned his wings, he asked his best friend, Julie, to be his wife.
Andy’s military aviation operational career began with flying the mighty F-15C Eagle, and after only four years, he was ecstatic to be selected as one of the first F-22 Raptor instructor pilots. A decorated Command Pilot, he served 23 years in the Air Force, flying over 1700 hours. He and Julie moved their family many times between bases in Virginia, Florida, Alaska, and Rhode Island before he retired in 2022 at Langley AFB, Virginia. Some of Andy’s proudest achievements included serving as the 325th Operations Support Squadron Commander at Tyndall AFB, flying combat sorties in support of Operation Northern Watch, instructing and training pilots in the F-22, and most of all, mentoring and leading the people around him. Andy spent his life in devotion to his nation and the people who served with him, and although Andy’s life was cut short, he made a lasting positive impact on those around him.
A lifelong runner and biker, Andy enjoyed competing in triathlons and all kinds of road races. He loved living in Alaska, hiking the mountain ranges and finding himself closer to heaven and God in the unimaginable beauty of the rugged terrain.
Family and faith were the most important parts of his life, and he spent every day taking care of his family and loving them. Andy loved Julie passionately and they enjoyed 23 years of marriage that were full of love and laughter. They had two sons, Ryan and Matthew, who were the light of his life. He loved being outdoors, and he passed on this love of nature to his boys through Boy Scouts. Andy was a volunteer in their troop for many years; camping, hiking, backpacking, and helping lead the young scouts along their own journeys. He was incredibly proud when both his sons also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Backpacking at Philmont Scout Ranch with Ryan and the Appalachian Trail with Matt were some of his favorite Scouting moments with his sons.
After he retired from the Air Force, Andy finally achieved another lifelong dream – to own his own plane. He bought a 1939 Piper Cub and the joy he got from flying “Dolly” was tremendous. Spending time flying over the Virginia rivers and hills, giving rides to his family and friends, landing at grass strips, and camping in his Cub were some of his favorite experiences.
Andy’s life was not defined by his cancer diagnosis. Instead, he was determined to live with love, faith, and gratitude for each day he was given. He is survived by his loving wife Julie, sons Ryan and Matthew, parents John and Mary Shurtleff, brother Jeff (Peggy), father and mother in-law Mark and Susan Strang, and brother-in-law Jeff (Charity). He is also survived by extended family – aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews who were important parts of his life.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Bellringer “Team Immunotherapy” bike ride. 100% of donations go directly to innovative cancer research at Georgetown, where Andy received treatment from his oncologist, Dr. Atkins. Andy and Dr. Atkins were some of the inaugural Bellringer riders, and Andy participated in the Bellringer three times, riding 25, 50 and 100 miles in the first years of the event.
https://ride.bellringer.org/donate/checkout?team=11
WASP: Williamsburg Aviation Scholarship Program, a local private pilot scholarship foundation that was close to his heart.
https://www.waspscholarship.org/donate
A funeral service will take place at 1 pm on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 118 Old York-Hampton Highway, Yorktown, Virginia 23692
Reception to follow immediately after the service at the church.
A graveside service will be Friday, June 13, 2025 at 3:00 PM in Albert G. Horton, Jr. Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Suffolk, Va.