Happy to serve, happy to retire
By JOSH RESNEK
If you have been here for three or four generations, then you know the Goyetche Family. It would be fairly impossible not to know the family.
The family home was on Bucknam Street when Everett was a far different place than it is today.
There were seven brothers and sisters – and four of the Goyetches, including the late Henry Goyetche (the father), served the city of Everett as firefighters and police officers for a total service to the city of about 140 years when added up.
“My father worked three or four jobs all the time when we were growing up. He came from Canada to Everett as a young man and started the family. We all watched him do his thing as a firefighter. He enjoyed his job. He loved the city. Many of us decided to follow his example,” said Andy Goyetche.
Andy is humble. He is honest. He is one of the good guys after serving a lifetime, since he was 22, on the EPD.
Andy recently retired from the Everett Police Force after serving the city for 34 years.
“I’m going to wing it,” he told the Leader Herald during an interview. “It went by quick. Now I want to watch my kids grow into adults and help them to do their thing,” he said.
Andy and his wife Colleen have two children, a daughter, Madison, and a son, Travis. Madison is a junior in high school. Travis is a freshman.
His oldest brother John, 65, is retired as well from the Everett Fire Department after 37 years.
His late brother Tom served on the EPD for 28 years. He was on the job when he passed away about 4 years ago.
To his great despair, he suffered the loss of two brothers and his father in the span of a year.
The Goyetche Family lines up by age this way from oldest to youngest: John, Ann Marie, Charlie, Tommy, Andy, Pam, and Vernon.
“I have great memories of growing up. We lived in the second oldest home in Everett,” Andy said.
“I loved the neighborhood back then – St. Joe’s Church. I had many friends, chief among them, Billy Alyward. A bunch of police and firefighters lived in this area of the city. It was all like family to me,” he added.
What’s next for Andy?
“I’m going to golf. I’m going to boat. I’m going to take vacations with Colleen and the kids to our summer place up in New Hampshire. I want to be with the family and to be healthy and to watch my kids develop,” he said like a proud father.
“That’s my dream for the future. I will miss my job, but I am happy and looking forward to the rest of my life retired,” he said.
His wife Colleen said she was looking for- ward to her husband’s retirement, and that also sharing in the fun would be the family’s two rescue dogs, Buster and Sam.
There are no more Andy Goyetches climbing up the ladder at the Everett Police Department.
He will be missed on the streets of Everett.
As the English like to say: he was a one-off.