Andru Joshua Love Nowakowski

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we have to announce the passing of our beautiful son, Andru Joshua Love Nowakowski. Andru came into this world on Friday, February 13, 2004, and was taken from us very suddenly and tragically on Friday, September 26, 2025.

Andru is survived by his loving, adoring father, Joshua Love Nowakowski; mother, Sarah Arp; sister, Alyssia Nowakowski; Grandma Linda; as well as many friends.

Andru was the absolute light of our lives, the heartbeat of our home. Andru was an amazingly confident, charming, charismatic young man. He brought so much joy and happiness not only to us but to anyone who was lucky enough to know him. Andru was not only a loving son but also a loving brother to his older sister, Alyssia. She lovingly referred to Andru as her “Little Big” because even though he was her little brother, he was such a big guy.

Andru was always smiling, laughing, and just living life to the fullest. He truly had a smile that would not only light up your day but would turn heads everywhere he went. Andru was a beautiful person inside and out, taking pride not only in his appearance but in everything he did.

Andru graduated from Bedford High School in 2022 and had a very bright future ahead of him. He was currently in school working towards being accepted into the Radiology program at Owens Community College, while also working as a Certified Pharmacy Technician at the outpatient pharmacy at St. Anne’s Hospital.

Andru was a fixture at the gym as well. He started his fitness journey at Super Fitness, following in his father’s footsteps and gaining a love for weightlifting. After a couple of years, he then began going to Crunch Fitness, which became his second home—not only for the love of working out, but because he met many new friends that he enjoyed hanging out with and encouraging on their fitness journey.

Andru had dreams of one day being in a bodybuilding competition, and his commitment to that dream was obvious by how much he pushed himself in the gym. Andru also dreamed of one day meeting the right person and getting married and having two, possibly three, children. We looked forward to being there for all those milestones. We know that he would have been an amazing husband and father.

When he wasn’t in school, working, or at the gym, he was out enjoying life—going out to the clubs with his friends, where he wasn’t afraid to cut the rug with his amazing dance moves. Andru also enjoyed shooting pool not only at the bars but also at home with his dad. He was my Cedar Point sidekick, and we had so much fun racing around the park to try to get on all the biggest coasters. Andru was just a fun-loving guy who lived every moment to the fullest.

Andru had a passion for gaming from a very young age as well. He played with many people and met many friends online, whom he was still in contact with. Andru always wore his heart on his sleeve. He was a gentle giant with a loud, booming laugh and a larger-than-life personality.

We always knew Andru was an old soul. Even as a young child, he was wise beyond his years. Andru never took for granted the chance to walk in the rain or to enjoy a beautiful sunset. He was the kid who always made his bed before leaving the house, even if he was running late, and that never changed.

One of his favorite movies growing up was Fried Green Tomatoes. Andru also loved The Golden Girls, with Betty White being his favorite—and who could blame him? For many years in elementary school, Andru was in the Chess Club, which he enjoyed very much and became very good at.

He loved many different genres of music, from old rock and roll and old-school rap to ’80s hits, just to name a few. One of his favorite artists was Zapp & Roger. We would hear him singing “More Bounce to the Ounce” when he was in the shower as a little boy.

Andru was the kind of son we could have only dreamed of, and we were so proud that he chose us to be his parents. We were a very close family, and Andru was always so happy to share his life with us. Even though we only got to share his life for 21 years, it was an amazing ride that we will cherish forever.

Andru was truly a gift from God. People always say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, but as his parents, we always knew he was special. There wasn’t a day that he didn’t bring us joy.

Andru was also an amazingly loyal friend to many—always there when they needed him, no matter what. They always knew they could count on him. He always made sure to tell everyone he loved them and wasn’t afraid to show his love and affection.

Andru was just such an upbeat, positive, genuine young man with a beautiful soul. He was always a gentleman, always there to open the door for someone or help bring in the groceries. We miss his presence every moment of the day. Life will never be the same without him. The world became dark and so very empty the day he left.

The ripple of his loss will be felt throughout the rest of our lives. We know Andru was just too perfect for this world—he was an angel here on earth. We pray that he was needed for something bigger and better and that his big, beautiful wings were waiting for him.

Even though we weren’t ready to let him go, we will cherish every moment we shared with him and will look forward to the day we see him again.

Until that day comes, our hope is that we can keep Andru’s beautiful memory alive, and we ask all those who loved him to please do the same. Share his wonderful stories. Remember his big, beautiful, bright smile, his goofy sense of humor, and his carefree personality.

Embrace life the way he did, never missing an opportunity to laugh and enjoy the small things. Most importantly, always tell the ones you love that you love them and show them affection—this was so very important to Andru. Hold him close to your heart the same way he held everyone he loved close to his.

Andru’s Celebration of Life is being held on what would have been his 22nd birthday, Friday, February 13, 2026. Guests are invited to come and share their love for Andru at 520 Conneaut Ave., Bowling Green, OH, from 6 p.m.–12 a.m.

Food will be served from 6 p.m.–8 p.m. and is being catered by Cane’s, a favorite of Andru’s. Drinks will be served from 6 p.m.–11 p.m.

We are asking guests to please not wear black. We are asking guests to please wear bright, vibrant colors in honor of Andru’s big, bright, vibrant personality.

WE’RE REQUESTING NO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 16

Any questions, please feel free to contact me at 419-277-1921.