Andrew Blayman
Andrew Blayman was born on November 28th in Salt Lake City, Utah to loving parents, Margret “Peggy” Lyon and Herbert Samuel Blayman. He was the second oldest of four children, his older brother being the late Barclay Blayman and he is survived by his sister Rosemary and his brother Jonathan, along with two of his own children, Jeffrey and Melissa.
He spent his formative years growing up in Tenafly, New Jersey where he went to school and showed prowess as a state champion shot put and discus athlete. He had an affinity for musical instruments as his father was a world-renowned clarinetist with the metropolitan opera in NY. In his youth, Andrew spent quite a lot of time as an “opera brat” taking up bit parts in the background of operas as a guard or a passing character.
In addition to his parents and siblings he also grew up living alongside his grandparents in the same house. Andrew’s lifelong love of the Yankees stemmed from his grandfather John Comegys Lyon, affectionately called Daggy, who enjoyed watching baseball games and logging every pitch with him as he grew. It was through his grandmother Hetty Barclay Lyon that his historical lineage had taken shape connecting him to a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a Civil War general, and relatives who were very close with Abraham Lincoln, many of which resided in Bedford, Pennsylvania.
After graduating from Tenafly high school he attended numerous institutions for higher learning, including Temple University, Mitchell College and finally receiving a degree in business from UConn. He always joked that it took him eight years to get a four year degree.
It was at Mitchell College he met his wife Jaimey Mazzarella, they were married in August of 1970. And moved into an apartment in the city of Norwich before purchasing their first home in Preston on Maynard Hill Road. Andrew was hired in 1970 at General Dynamics EB division, thanks to his new father-in-law Tom Mazzarella, and worked as a typing clerk for $2.22 an hour as he liked to reminisce on. He and Jaimey had Jeffrey Andrew in 1976 and Melissa Rose in 1979. Eventually building a beautiful home in Preston on Branch Hill Road in 1984. Andrew spent the next 50 years rising through the ranks at EB and becoming the chief of transportation finally retiring in 2020.
In addition to EB he successfully ran numerous businesses and managed multiple properties in the city of Norwich giving a number of friends and associates opportunity. He was a lover of turtles (Bruce Wayne) and cats (Zsezse) whom he affectionately fawned over.
Having become divorced in 1998 he took up residence in his lake house affectionately dubbed “pond otter haven” on Pachaug pond in Voluntown, CT. He spent these years enjoying morning coffees on his dock, talking to his turtles, taking jet ski rides around the perimeter and hosting quite possibly the best 4th of July parties.
He retired from Electric Boat in 2020 after 50 years. It was around this time he was diagnosed with cancer and began the arduous road to remission. It was then that he made probably one the best decisions of his life, moving to Southwest Florida with his daughter Melissa and her wife Terri. Together they lived happily without the icy and inclement weather of Connecticut, taking advantage of access to the multitude of healthcare professionals Florida has to offer.
It was in the last few years his greatest friend and companion would be his daughter-in-law Terri who managed his numerous medical appointments and treatments, aiding him in his daily medical needs and overall quality of life. He enjoyed sitting by the pool every morning with his two grand pups Mako and Cashew, whom he spoiled with ice cube treats while watching Yankees games each evening. Life was good.
On May 24th 2026, scans revealed a very aggressive cancer was actively attacking his brain. He soon went silent and the need for hospice was evident. The lovely folks at Tidewell hospice in Venice Florida truly made for a comfortable transition to his eternal rest, as well as guiding his family through a difficult time.
