Dr. Andrew “Andy” Huggins
September 13, 1952 – May 26, 2025
Andrew Huggins, known to many as Andy or Drew, passed away unexpectedly on May 26, 2025, in Boulder, Colorado. He was 72.
Andy was born in Shettleston, Glasgow, Scotland, to Isabella and Andrew Huggins. He attended Allan Glen’s School for secondary school in Glasgow and went on to earn a B.S. in Physical Geography from Strathclyde University in 1974. He completed an M.Sc. in Environmental Resources at the University of Salford in Manchester, England, in 1976—where he also met his loving wife, Patricia. He later moved to the United States to be closer to her and earned a Ph.D. in Water Resources from the State University of New York at Syracuse in 1982. Andy and Patricia raised their children in Pennington, New Jersey where they lived until their 2018 move to Colorado.
Andy worked for Environmental Resources Management (ERM) for over 40 years as a partner and consultant. He especially valued the frequent travel involved in his work—particularly to Brazil and Italy—as part of his management of remediation projects. He also facilitated expert panels focused on risk management, remediation, water quality, and wastewater treatment. Although his work was technical in nature, Andy will be most remembered for his ability to create lasting and meaningful relationships—whether through mentorship, client work, or leadership. Many of those relationships blossomed into genuine lifelong friendships, which he deeply cherished.
Andy loved traveling, both for work and for pleasure, and had recently returned from a trip to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to see family and lifelong friends. He was an avid reader who enjoyed staying current on world events, watching sports, playing his piano, and taking hikes around Boulder with his golden retriever, Hachi. He was a devoted grandfather who saw his grandchildren multiple times per week.
Andy will be remembered by all for his kindness, his ability to strike up a conversation with anyone, and the deep connections he formed with others. Above all, he was dedicated to his family, especially his beloved wife Patricia, with whom he shared over 40 wonderful years.
He is survived by his son, Andrew George Huggins; daughter, Alison Pouliot; and son-in-law, Michael Pouliot; as well as his beloved grandchildren: Owen Pouliot, Emma Pouliot , Rose Pouliot, and a much-anticipated new baby arriving this summer.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Ann Huggins; his parents, Isabella and Andrew; his sister, Isobel Huggins; and his brother, George Huggins.
Services
A public viewing will be held on Tuesday, June 3rd, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. at The Natural Funeral, 102 W Chester St, Lafayette, CO.
A graveside service will follow on Wednesday, June 4th, at 11:00 a.m. at Foothills Gardens of Memory, 14241 N 107th St, Longmont, CO.
Hi,
It was so lovely to see and have a drink with Andy in Glasgow after 51/52 years. I was at Uni with Andy and for some time, we hung around together
So quickly taken, miss him lots already
Our deepest sympathies to the families. Our heart aches to hear this sad news. And we will cherish the good times we had in West Chester, PA and Pennington, NJ. Andy was a true gentleman, kind, and caring person and loving family man. We send you love and comfort at this difficult time. May all the fond memories bring you peace. Dee, Victor, and Adam Rincon
Andy Huggins, you have always been a remarkable person in the lives of many people! Your charismatic, affectionate and sincere manner always won over many friends! Our conversations about football, wine, food and occasionally about environmental remediation (laughs) were always wonderful! We will all truly miss you! May your passing be beautiful and may you always be among us! A kiss on your heart!
In Loving Memory of Andy
It’s hard to find words that truly honor someone like Andy — a mentor, a friend, and the person who shaped every meaningful step of my 16-year journey at ERM.
From the very start, Andy saw something in me and never stopped encouraging me to grow, challenge myself, and reach further. His guidance wasn’t just professional; it was deeply human. He led with wisdom, humility, and a quiet strength that inspired everyone around him.
Andy was Scottish through and through — sharp, principled, and blessed with that unmistakable sense of humor that could lighten even the toughest day. He loved football with a passion (and wasn’t shy about letting you know if your team wasn’t up to scratch), and his stories from his travels always made you feel like the world was just a little more open and full of possibility.
He was more than a colleague. He was a compass, a confidant, and one of the finest people I’ve ever known. His absence leaves a silence that will be deeply felt, but his spirit, values, and laughter will stay with me — always.
Rest easy, Andy. Thank you for everything.
Paulo and Luciana
I think I first met Andy in the early ’90s as a relatively fresh faced junior consultant at ERM posted out to Kuwait as part of the team tasked with figuring out how to quantify environment and health impacts of the Gulf War. It was my first big project, man, what a project. To say the task was intimidating was, let’s say a gargantuan understatement – how do you quantify environmental damage of that scale at that time….. In stepped Andy and Derek Ross, utter legends the both of them and what a team.
It was the first of a number of times that i worked with Andy over the years but what a huge impact Andy made on me and my career right from that initial project – calm & unflustered even in the most challenging times, clear, fact based, and above all caring and very happy to take time mentoring those of us who were at times, at our whits end, even though i suspect Andy was feeling the same way.
I learnt a huge amount from Andy and hope that as my career progressed I have been as kind, caring, thoughtful, engaging and above all supportive to my teams as Andy was with me all those years ago. He will be hugely missed by me and I’m sure everyone else that had the privilege to meet and work with him and call him a friend.
Deep condolences to Andy’s family and Andy thankyou….
Andy, the ultimate professional, a brilliant colleague and a wonderful man. I, like so many ERM colleagues, loved working with Andy. He will be sorely missed. My condolences to his family.
Thanks for your leadership and friendship, Andy. You were truly inspirational.
Andy was a good man, friend and neighbor who will be missed by all who knew him.
Andrew, Alison, and Michael, I’m so very sorry for your loss. You know, and you’ll hear a thousand times that your Father was a special man. I worked with Andy for years and had the pleasure of traveling with him to Brazil and Italy. Even played some futbol! Kind, gentle, and generous in every way. I loved him as I suppose many do. I hope you can find peace and solace in each other, family and friends. This will undoubtedly be a raw wound for some time. Peace.
We were so saddened to hear about the sudden loss of Andy. We first met Andy through my brother Derek Ross. They were work colleagues in ERM for a very long time. He was such a lovely man. So kind, caring and always keen to hear about our family, especially our parents. Our thoughts are with you all at this very sad time.
We wish to offer our deepest sympathy to Andy, Alison and Mike, and their children. We have so many wonderful memories of time spent with Andrew and Trish over the last 50 years.
Andrew was such a beautiful soul, an honor to have known him as a close friend. He loved his family dearly, and spoke so highly of each and every one of them. Andrew’s smile and gentle
spirit will live on with all who have ever had the pleasure of knowing him. Please accept the condolences of the entire Kellett family.
Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. Andy´s kindness and generosity will be greatly missed, but his memory will live on in our hearts. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.
We met at an Economic History tutorial run by Tom Devine, now Sir Tom Devine. We were both first year students at Strathclyde University, the tutorial was demanding to say the least. Later Andy joined me in the Students Union building in John Street, where we had a great chat about the tutorial. We both agreed that there was no point in going to Tom Devine’s tutorials less than fully prepared or you would be roasted. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
I have so many wonderful memories of Andy and Trish over fifty years of friendship. We shared many of life’s major events, marriages, the birth of children, holidays, birthdays and numerous visits to each other despite the distance between us. We may have not seen each other for a few years but whenever we met up it was as if we had been together just a couple of days ago.
We watched each other’s children grow, got to know each other’s extended family, supported each other through the bad times and celebrated the god times. Sandra became a great friend of Trish’s and she also grew close with both of their children. We have a wealth of stories and very fond memories of times spent together here in Scotland and in Pennington and later in Boulder.
The dreadful news came as awful blow and we are devastated. However the shock and pain we are feeling now will gradually subside and we will always have so many precious memories to hold on to. Memories of a great friend who’s wit, wisdom and love of life will stay with us always. He was one of life’s good guys.
Goodbye Andy love always.
Joe and Sandra.
I first met Andy on our first day at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow and have been good friends and kept in touch ever since. Whether at home in Scotland, in London, a holiday in Ireland and so poignantly recently, in The Netherlands, it has always been such a joy to be with Andy, always so full of life. To my lasting regret, Julie and I never spent more time with Andy, Trish and family. Such a great friend, great company, smart and informed, and always funny with amusing stories, and with that moustachioed smile will miss him so much.
Really sorry to hear this news. I first met Andy at a conference in the US some 15 years ago and was struck by his enthusiasm for what ERM were doing and how he engaged and supported people at all levels within the organisation, despite at the time being in the upper echelons of the company. He also recognised the value of technical skills to sell work and promoted this globally – something I and I’m sure many others learned from him. RIP.
I had both the pleasure and honor of knowing Andy during my entire career at ERM, starting in 1988. In recent years, I had more opportunities to work directly with Andy, and came to understand why he was so appreciated by his clients and coworkers. Andy was truly interested and concerned about people, both professionally and personally, and that resulted in scores of deep and long-lasting friendships around the world. I was always amazed at the depth of Andy’s business knowledge; how he saw global trends unfolding, and how he was able to help others navigate those trends. Andy was one of those rare individuals who mixed technical skill, business acumen, and friendship in a way that made me and others want to be around him and continue to learn from him. Andy, you will be greatly missed.
Andy will always be an unforgettable friend! He gave me important opportunities that have shaped my professional life and provided a very solid pathway for me to follow. What a privilege to have worked with you almost 30 out of your 40 years with ERM! Love you forever!
Although we lived on different sides of the Atlantic, Andy and Trish were constants in my life. One of my first memories was of my parents, Joe and Sandra Marshall, going to the States for their wedding. When I was younger, Andy and Trish visiting, or my family visiting the States to see Andy, Trish, Andrew, and Alison was always a great occasion with Andy always making sure we had the warmest welcome and were highly entertained.
Andy was a natural conversationalist and always engaging company. When Keeley, myself, and my parents visited Jersey to see Andy, Andrew, Alison, and Mike, we were discussing Andy’s education at the State University of New York, Syracuse. Andy, as always, made an inspirational and convincing case for studying a doctorate in New York. Two years later, I also enrolled at the State University of New York, in no small part down to the conversation I had with Andy that day.
I was greatly saddened to hear of Andy’s passing but thankful for the short time we got to spend with him on his recent visit to Scotland. It was wonderful to be able to welcome him to my house for the first time. I know he enjoyed his afternoon, was delighted to meet Buster, and have a couple of pints in local pub. That is how we will remember Andy, on great form, full of fantastic stories and making new friends everywhere he went.
Our sincere condolences to Andrew, Alison, Mike, and the family.
RIP Andy xx
Kevin and Keeley
You have been a fantastic mentor and a great friend, my sons still remember you from your trip a few years ago when you stayed with us. And I learned so much from you…
You have been an example on how we should treat others, with respect and empathy regardless of their role and professional level.
A true citizen of the world, with friends everywhere; I have always been amazed by the network of friends you built!
We will all miss you Andy. Condolecenses to Andrew, Alison and the rest of the family; I did not get to know you but you were always present in chats with Andy.
An Italian friend,
Marco
Andy was one of my two favorite Scotsmen. He was an easy going, talented professional who more than did his part to make ERM a world class environmental consulting firm. He will be missed by me and many others whose lives he touched and bettered. I hope his family will draw comfort from many happy memories and the knowledge that many others share in some way their loss.