Douglas Andres, 78, IBM official, gardener

Douglas R. Andres Sr. of 15 Bridle Trail, a retired IBM manager and an avid gardener, died on Saturday, Jan. 27, at Laurelwood Rehabilitation Center. He was 78 years old and the husband of Annette Menzola Andres.
Mr. Andres was born in the Bronx, N.Y. on April 17, 1922, a son of the late Frank and Maude La Tourette Andres. When he was a boy, he moved with his family from the Bronx to Staten Island, where he grew up. He attended New York University and, during World War II, was a Navy chief petty officer aboard a landing craft in the Pacific.
Mr. Andres worked for IBM for 39 years, joining the company in 1945. He had been manager of personnel programs, and spent much of his career overseas, based in France and in Japan, from which he served IBM sites in the Middle East, Africa and the Far East. He was a compensation specialist whose job was to compare benefits given to IBM’s overseas employees with those offered by other companies to make certain IBM’s were competitive or better packages.
Mr. Andres came to Ridgefield 25 years ago after his second tour with IBM in Paris, but through much of his later retirement years continued to visit France. “That was his second home,” said his daughter, Susanne Andres of Ridgefield. “He used to go every year for five or six weeks. He’d wouldn’t even make reservations; he’s just rent a car and explore.”
Mr. Andres’ passion, however, was gardening. He took early retirement from IBM in 1984 to spend more time in his garden and his greenhouse.
“He was in the garden from 7 a.m. until after dark,” Ms. Andres said. “He used to have an enormous flower and vegetable garden.”
Mr. Andres always shared his bounty, his daughter said. “He assisted a lot of the neighbors in starting their gardens each year. And when the vegetables were ready, he’d be knocking on their doors with gifts.”
Besides his wife of 54 years and his daughter, Mr. Andres is survived by a son, Douglas R. Andres Jr., of Lake Oswego, Ore., as well as three grandsons, Karl Andres, David Andres and Jesse Andres.
A memorial service will take place at a time and place to be announced.
There will be no calling hours.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492.
The Kane Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.