Andrea Kerley

Andrea Lyn Kerley, 59, of Abilene, passed away Friday, May 5, 2023.

A Celebration of Andrea’s life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, May 13 at Southern Hills Church of Christ, with Ty Kerley officiating.

Andrea was born on October 10, 1963, in Deming, NM to Stanley and Doris Ruebush. Andrea moved to Abilene in 1977. She graduated from Abilene High School in 1981. She played flute and piccolo in the concert and marching band.

Andrea put herself through school while raising three children. She obtained her associate’s degree from ACU and a Bachelor in Nursing from Midwestern State. She loved to learn so it was no surprise when she graduated with a Master in Nursing and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Andrea worked for Hendrick Health Care for 27 years, most recently as the Manager of Clinical Informatics.  She was a longtime Nurse in the ER, CCU, House supervisor, Interim Director of Nursing at Mesa Spring, Nurse Manager on the Skilled Nursing Unit, and preceptor for new nurses. Andrea was a living example of the Hendrick Mission Statement:

“To deliver high quality healthcare emphasizing excellence and consistent with the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.”

Andrea touched many people throughout her life. She listened without judgement and had no qualms about entertaining different philosophies and ideas. She approached challenges with a smile, confidence, and determination.  Andrea was the kind of person who asked people she saw in the hallway how they were doing, and she stopped to listen to their answer. Andrea enjoyed a good joke, an interesting idea, and Starbucks coffee. She was a New Mexican through and through. She loved green chiles, the smell of the rain in the mountains, and nature of all kinds. Andrea took life in stride and “I can’t” was not something she said often. She was the quintessential cheerleader for her friends and family. Andrea was the number one fan of all her children. She always grinned ear-to-ear when she spoke about them. Her grandchildren held a special part of her heart; she and Mike made trips all around Texas to attend their activities.

Andrea was actively involved in the community: she served on various committees throughout years of service as a member of The United Way Board. She served as a Peer Assistant for the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN).

She married Mike Kerley on March 10, 1995, in Abilene. They loved to travel and cruise around the world.

Andrea was preceded in death by a brother, Barry Ruebush, and her mother and father.

She is survived by her husband, Mike Kerley; son, Jon Terrell (Brittany); daughters: Laurie Burton (Jerry), Katie Fontenot (Dustin), Kaitlyn Terrell (Joe), and Mikayla Terrell; brothers: Hugh Ruebush (Trudi) and Shelby Ruebush (Kathy); sister, Ardythe Woerly (Jerry); grandchildren: Chloe, Lane, Jack, Zoe, and Victoria.

The family would like to extend an abundance of gratitude to Dr. Ralph Heaven, the nurses, nurses aids, and multiple additional staff who provided care and support at Hendrick Health System and Hendrick Hospice during her brief illness. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following organizations that were important to Andrea: The Alyssa Ferguson World Changers Fund (alyssasfund.com); United Way of Abilene (unitedwayabilene.org); JDRF (www.jdrf.org); Hendrick Hospice (www.hendrickhealth.org/services/hospice-care).