Andrew James McCrate passed away on the morning of July 11th, 2018, in Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. Born August 13th, 1950 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He was the son of David Patrick and Elizabeth Walter McCrate, in a family of five sons. Graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1971 and soon after joined the Peace Corps, where he went to Brazil, to work in Minas Gerais as a research assistant, and where he first met his future wife, Adelaide Beleia, who worked at the same research center.

Returned to the States in 1975 to do graduate studies in agriculture, and received his Ph.D in 1981 from Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.
Returning to Brazil, he worked as a corn breeder, first in the state of São Paulo and then in Paraná. Now joined in death by his mom, dad, and stepmother, Dulcie Combs McCrate, and his brother Timothy.

His son is fulfilling his last living wishes to have his ashes brought back home for his final rest.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, his son, Gabriel, and his brothers, Patrick, Denis, and Matthew. A memorial service will be held at St. Eustachius Parish in Portageville, MO on Aug. 13th, 2025, at 10 am, with a celebration of life in the Parish Center soon afterwards