SPRINGFIELD - Lester "Andy" Edward Andersen, age 88, passed away on February 23, 2011 at the Wingate Nursing Home in East Longmeadow. He was born in Wadena, MN on March 27, 1922 and grew up in MN and Portland, OR. In 1938 he left Oregon to work at naval air stations in Kodiak, Dutch Harbor and Fairbanks, Alaska building runways. In 1943 he joined the U.S. Air Force and while stationed at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, he met his future wife, Margaret Scolari. Lester was a member of the 15th Air Force 461st Bomb Group and flew 54 missions over Italy and Germany in WWII. He was a Master Sergeant, flight engineer and top turret gunner in the B24 Liberator Bomber aircraft. He was shot down on October 4, 1944 over Munich, Germany. With the aid of partisans, he made his way through Austria to Yugoslavia where he met all of his surviving crew members at a predetermined rendezvous point. In 11 days they built a runway to enable a plane from Bari, Italy to land and rescue them. After the war, he returned to Springfield to marry Margaret in 1945, went back to Oregon for a few years before returning to Springfield where he has lived for 61 years. Lester became founder, owner and President of Andersen and Scolari, Inc. (general contractors, now owned and operated by his sons), Andersen Realty Trust and Hampden House Inc. He was part owner of K&A Realty, JIN Realty, MAN Development Corp and Sanifil, Inc. Mr. Andersen was also a member of the Little Alum Lake Association and has been the President and Trustee for 7th Street Realty Trust in Brimfield for 25 years. He was a member of the Air Force Escape and Evasion Society. Andy was passionate about his family and work, loved his lake house and traveling. He was an avid hunter and fisherman who enjoyed the outdoors. Originally from a family of 9 children, Lester was preceded in death by his parents, Bjarne and Gertrude (McCord) Andersen and 4 brothers, Millard, Vern, George and Earl Andersen all from Oregon. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Margaret Scolari Andersen, of Springfield; a daughter, Andrea Andersen Nelson (husband, Kurt) of East Bethel, MN; two sons, Robert Andersen (wife, Suzanne) of East Longmeadow; Thomas Andersen (wife, Betty) of Brimfield; four grandchildren - Lisa Nelson Delich (husband, Thomas) of Andover, MN; Carrie Nelson of N. St. Paul, MN; Julie Andersen of Honolulu, HI; Robert Andersen, Jr. of Springfield; Five great grandchildren -Devin, Jessa, Avery and Casey Delich of Andover, MN; Brandon Andersen of East Longmeadow. Lester is also survived by 3 sisters, Marie Jones, Mae Cook, Irene Bennett and a brother, Wayne Andersen all reside in Oregon as well as cousins and many nieces and nephews. The funeral for Andy will held on Thursday morning at 9:15 from Tazzini Funeral Home, corner of Locust & Main St., with a Funeral Mass in St. Patrick's Catholic Church at 10:30am. Burial will follow in St. Michael's Cemetery, all in Springfield. Calling hours will be held Wednesday from 4-7 PM. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in the memory of Lester Andersen to Jericho for Exceptional Children, P.O. Box 1039, Holyoke, MA 01041 or Baystate Hospice, P.O. Box 9058, Springfield, MA 01102.