Andre J. Ledbetter, 75, of Pahrump, Nevada, died Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, at home. He was surrounded by family and his beloved dog.
When he was 18, Ledbetter saved a 45-year-old glass company proprietor from a nighttime fire in Vancouver, Washington, after fire broke out in his one-story home. The man’s wife awakened him before she broke a window to escape. Meanwhile, he went into an adjoining room and broke a small window there. He was quickly overcome by smoke and fell to the floor. Numerous neighbors including Ledbetter, arrived as the rapidly spreading flames completely engulfed one side of the dwelling. Ledbetter climbed into the bedroom, sustaining some cuts from the broken glass, and started toward the bathroom where the man lay, but he had difficulty breathing in the dense smoke and returned to the window for air. He then crawled 10 feet and found the man unconscious.
Heat was intense and flames singed the hair on Ledbetter’s arm as he dragged him to the bedroom window. He placed the man’s arm over the sill and then climbed out, coughing from smoke he had inhaled. Flames appeared in the bedroom as Ledbetter and others pulled the man through the window opening and away from the home.
Ledbetter was born Oct. 28, 1946 to Edward and Aniela Ledbetter of Vancouver. In high school, Ledbetter’s favorite sport was boxing and he even had a brief stint as an amateur boxer.
Ledbetter met his wife, Patricia Ann Beaupre, in high school. Together, they moved to San Francisco in the 1960s to enjoy music and culture. Eventually they returned to Vancouver, and had their two children, Jason and Kristina.
As a resident of Washington, Ledbetter took advantage of all the outdoors had to offer. While living in Klickitat, he enjoyed fishing and photography. On the Long Beach Peninsula, he loved clam digging and beachcombing.
In 2006, Ledbetter and his wife returned to Pahrump, Nevada, where they spent time exploring the desert and admiring the wild horses.
Ledbetter’s family will remember him for making them laugh and seeing the positive side of things. His joy will be their memory. Ledbetter is survived by his son; daughter; and his grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife in 2012.