The next book Andrew Frow had on his reading list was Great Expectations. A gifted student and engineer, that could easily have been the title of his own life.
Although Andrew’s field of study was Mechanical Engineering, his true passion was solar cars and alternative energy. In promoting this vision at the Canadian Solar Tour, he lost his life on August 12th while driving Faust, U of T’s solar car, near Kitchener-Waterloo. The solar car veered into the opposite lane and crashed into an oncoming van. It was destroyed upon impact.
A memorial was held to commemorate Andrew’s life on August 19th. Approximately 800 people packed into the Great Hall in Hart House to hear music and speeches by his friends and U of T staff.
Andrew’s education began at the University of Toronto Schools. When it came time to choose a university, his top priority was a strong solar car team. The underdog Blue Sky Solar Racing at U of T caught his attention. They certainly weren’t successful or established but Andrew wanted the rewarding experience of building a team from the ground up.
When he first joined the group, it was obvious that he was young and inexperienced. His passion for solar cars easily convinced his teammates, though, that he was someone who was full of potential. He was sent to the October 2001 race in Australia to gain necessary experience and he eagerly threw himself into the task.
His dedication only increased once he returned to Canada. He spent countless hours trying to understand all aspects of solar cars from how solar cells worked to suspension design to construction of the aerobody. Said Brendan Slyne, friend and former team member, “He was doing what he wanted to do; he was working hard to promote alternative energy and he was trying to do anything for the team.”
He was also well versed in the automobile industry. He wanted to work, above all, for a car company that focused on the environment. His hero was William Ford, Jr., the current CEO of Ford. He even brought articles quoting Ford to solar car team meetings. Although at first his team was skeptical about his tangents, they came to appreciate his knowledge of the political, social and economic forces at work in the world.
This sense of social responsibility was strong in Andrew. David Nam, the director of Blue Sky Solar Racing, remembers the first time that Andrew stood by the U of T solar car when it was on display at the Canadian International Auto show. He looked completely bewildered. Andrew said that he was amazed by the wonder onlookers expressed. It was as this point that he first realized that his passion for solar cars could really have an impact upon the world.
This is probably why Andrew was very excited about the Canadian Solar Tour. The tour involved taking the car to universities in Ontario and Quebec to raise awareness about alternative energy. Andrew recognized that although races were thrilling and glamorous, the tour was an opportunity to let ordinary people see the car and to educate and inspire them. Andrew and David used to use the phrase “awaken the imagination.” Sure, they both thought it was pretty cheesy, but that didn’t make it less true.
Andrew may have been a dedicated worker, but above all his friends will miss their conversations with him. Andrew was well read and was known to quote Orwell, Hugo, Plato and even poetry on occasion. He had a critical understanding of Western philosophical arguments despite the fact that he had never taken a university course on the subject. He even read Goethe’s Faust just so that he could know why the U of T solar car shared its name.
Never satisfied with what he already knew, Andrew was continually trying to improve himself. He loved trivia and discussing his ideas. He was never known to judge: he was someone who could be counted on to be rational and informed. If he didn’t know something, he would research it and get back to you. He was naturally inquisitive and had a love of knowledge.
For the past two years, Andrew had been working at Kraft Canada in a professional experience program. His product design for boxes and efforts to improve assembly line efficiency won him several prizes. He was to enter the third year of his degree in Mechanical Engineering this fall. In his career at U of T he received two entrance scholarships and maintained a 93% average.
Even though Andrew was smart, he wasn’t content just to theorize or discuss. He wanted, above all, to make a difference and that’s why he was so passionate and dedicated to the Blue Sky Solar Racing Team. Said David Nam, “…that was Andrew -inquisitive, self-motivated and dynamic, who dared to dream the big dreams and actively pursue them.”
