On February 2, 2021, Attorney Andrew “Drew” DeGraffenreidt III passed peacefully in Miami, Florida with his wife, Mary, by his side.

Andrew was born in Jackson, Mississippi on September 18, 1951, and he was the first born and only son of the late Andrew DeGraffenreidt, II (Kansas City, Missouri) and Eddie Pearl Black DeGraffenreidt (Vicksburg, Mississippi).
In 1958, his family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he attended First Baptist Piney Grove Church and sang in the choir.

Education

Andrew graduated from Nova High School in Davie, Florida in 1969 and was a member of the Varsity Basketball team.

After graduating from high school, Andrew attended the very prestigious Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, where he majored in political science. After graduating from college, Andrew attended the University of Miami School of Law.

Career

Andrew enjoyed a long, rich, rewarding, and successful legal career which spanned over 43 years, and which continued up until his untimely death.

After graduating from law school, Andrew served as a Research Aide for General Counsel of Broward County, Florida, and then as an Assistant General Counsel.

After leaving the Broward County Attorney’s Office, Andrew initially served as Deputy City Attorney for the City of Hollywood, Florida, but later became Hollywood’s first African American City Attorney.
After serving as Hollywood’s City Attorney, Andrew worked as an associate attorney at Fine, Jacobson, Schwartz, Nash, Block, and England, PA. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He subsequently opened his own general legal practice and later became the City Attorney of Riviera Beach, Florida.

After serving as City Attorney of Riviera Beach, Andrew worked as a civil litigation attorney at Powers, McNalis & Torres in West Palm Beach, Florida, until he again opened his own law firm and provided exceptional counsel to clients in the areas of labor, administrative, constitutional, land use, and contract law.

Andrew had extensive litigation experience in all facets of civil litigation relating to the functions and operation of governmental agencies, and it was because of his expansive knowledge of government law that he returned as City Attorney of Riviera Beach, where he served until 2019.

From 2019 to present, Andrew was enjoying the opportunity to not only be selective in the types of cases that he handled, but to additionally serve as a mentor and coach to young lawyers as well as co-counsel on a variety of significant legal matters.

Andrew served as counsel to the Broward County Consumer Protection Board, Broward County Personnel Advisory Board, Broward County Human Rights Advisory Board, Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency, Hollywood Planning and Zoning Board, Hollywood Board of Appeals and Adjustment, Hollywood General Pension Fund, Riviera Beach Board of Appeals and Adjustment, Riviera Beach Zoning Board, and Riviera Beach Nuisance Adjustment Board. Andrew was additionally a member of the Palm Beach Municipal League and Government Law Committee of the Florida League of Cities. Andrew also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Palm Beach County NAACP, Board of Directors for the Sistrunk Festival, and Board of Directors of the Palm Beach YMCA.

Andrew additionally served as General Counsel for Leadership Palm Beach County, District 9 Community Health Purchasing Alliance (CHPA), and Palm Beach American Red Cross.

Andrew was admitted to practice in all Florida State Courts, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

Andrew was additionally a Supreme Court and Circuit Court Certified Mediator, a Special Magistrate for the 15th Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida, and a Hearing Officer for the Broward County Unsafe Structure Board, Broward County Code Enforcement Board, City of West Palm Beach Code Enforcement Board, and City of Belle Glade Code Enforcement Board.

Professional Organizations

Andrew was a member of The Florida Bar’s Eminent Domain, Energy Law, and Lawyers and the Arts Committees, as well as the Bar’s Trial, Real Property and Probate, Government Law, and Labor and Employment Law Sections. Andrew was additionally a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, South Broward Bar Association, Broward County Bar Association, Palm Beach County Inns of Court, T.J. Reddick Bar Association, F. Malcolm Cunningham Bar Association, and District of Columbia Bar Association. Andrew was, noteworthy, the first African American to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Palm Beach County Bar Association.

Andrew served as President of the Fort Lauderdale Community Development Corporation, and he was a member of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Suncoast Chamber of Commerce, Leadership of Palm Beach County Class of “1993", Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Delta Theta Pi Law Fraternity, and 100 Black Men of Palm Beach County.

Love and Family

Andrew was an active member of Christ Family Worship Assembly, and he truly touched the lives of so many through his legal career, commitment to his Christian faith, active involvement in the community, and his general love for others.

Drew will forever live in the loving memory of his devoted wife of 27 years, Mary Sheely DeGraffenreidt; daughters, Tatanisha DeGraffenreidt (Atlanta), Reghan McClain (Duane, Atlanta), Shaundelyn Emerson (Rodrick, Riviera Beach), Kayla Lundy (Randy, Plant City), and Farren Locust (Thomas, West Palm Beach); sons, Douglas J. Lundy (NaTasha, Riviera Beach) and Andrew DeGraffenreidt, IV (Lake Park); sisters, Fredi Grace Mitchell (Kurt, Atlanta) and Carol E. A. DeGraffenreidt, Esquire (Palm Beach Gardens); sisters-in-law, Emma King (Lake Worth), Elizabeth Sheely (West Palm Beach), and Carol Sheely (West Palm Beach); brothers-in-law, Alex Sheely (Atlanta), Thomas Sheely (West Palm Beach), and L. Rufus Burns, Sr. (Riviera Beach); grandchildren, Resacia, Traiven, Ayanna, Jordon, Douglas, Duane, Raniya, Anthony, Darren, LaCantris, and Yaminah; great-grandchildren, Ezekiel, Yaniah, and Nemiah; uncles, Dr. Malcolm Black (Emma, Fort Lauderdale) and Jesse Black (Jackson, MS); aunt, Ethel Simpson (Los Angeles, CA), and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, godchildren, neighbors, and colleagues.

Andrew will also be sorely missed by close friends Sam and Oneatha Terry, Larry and Cecelia Weaver, Vincent and Mora Garvin, Deborah Green, Daniel and Delores Calloway, Bruce and Denise Webb, Brad Mattair, and Pinkie Owens; and special friends Robert and Jackie McClain, Sheila James, Lina Frances Busby, Brian Powers, Glen Torcivia, and Alex Broomfield.

https://memorials.shulersmemorial.com/andrew-degraffenreidt/4518405/