Fred Andrews Tribute

"How do you sum up the life of a man like Fred Andrews? You could start with the facts. That he was born at Riverdale General Hospital. That his parents were Arthur and Virginia Andrews. That he led the Riverdale High baseball team to two consecutive state championships. Took over the family business at 18, got married, had a son, settled down. And while others were rushing to get out of Riverdale, Fred was setting down roots. When our town saw a pariah and closed its doors, Fred saw a lost soul and opened his. There was always room at his table, in his home, for others. Whenever our town was under attack, Fred was on the front line, Fred was on the front line fighting for it, defending it. He was our good Samaritan, our George Bailey, our knight in flannel armor. And by the way, he was a hell of a good tipper. [...] Fred left Riverdale better than when he found it. That's his legacy."

- Jughead's eulogy for Fred Andrews

Fred Andrews Tribute is a series of events that occur in the town of Riverdale to honor late Fred Andrews. After hearing of Fred's unexpected death, the town mourns and commemorates Fred's memory.

Hearing the Tragic News
At Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe, Archie hangs with Jughead, Betty, and Veronica when he receives the call about his father's death. He collapses to the ground before going home to see his mother. At home, FP informs him and Mary of Fred's death; while driving home to Riverdale, Fred pulled over to help someone’s car that had stalled on the side of the road, only to be killed in a hit-and-run while assisting the stranger. Mary bursts into tears as FP fights to hold back his own.

Honouring Fred's Memory
In the backyard, Archie, Veronica, Reggie, Kevin, Jughead, and Betty share their own memories of Fred. Reggie recalls how he broke his arm while playing in the treehouse that Fred had built for him, Archie, and Jughead. Betty remembers the picnic they had in Pickens Park while she and Archie were still in grade school. There was a father-daughter potato sack race. For whatever reason, Betty’s dad couldn’t make it, but Fred offered to do it with her. For that day, he was her dad. When things started to get worse with Jughead’s dad’s drinking, his mom would call up Fred for help, and he would drive to the bar, pick up FP and lay him on the couch. Fred always stayed for a while just to talk and check in on Jughead. Kevin adds that Fred always built and donated all the sets for the musical. Archie remembers going to Sears with him just to ride the tractors. Everything Archie knows is because of his dad, from sports to mechanics. However, reminiscing brings up too many memories for Archie, and so he decides to call it a day.

Preparations
Mary, Archie, and Veronica make funeral arrangements. They’ll have Fred buried in a plot next to his father Arthur "Artie" Andrews. Since the service will be transporting the body across the state, there’s an additional cost of $9,000, which Veronica agrees to pay. However, because of the holiday, they won’t be able to bring Fred home until July 5th.

After waking up from a dream, Archie decides to go retrieve his father's corpse himself with the help of Veroncia, Jughead, and Betty. At Cherry Creek, they meet the woman Fred saved at the accident site and share a prayer together.

A Bittersweet Surprise
In honor of Fred, Cheryl organizes a parade. When Archie returns back to Riverdale, he is met with FP at the town border. He heard what they were up to and wanted to be apart of it, so he gives Fred a police escort the rest of the way home. Escorted by FP, Archie and the gang ride through and are met by the entire town, waving flags and holding “Welcome Home, Fred” signs. Many people attend the parade; Cheryl, Toni, Peaches 'N Cream, Nana Rose, Jellybean, Pop, and Reggie are amongst them.

Fred's Funeral
The town gathers for Fred's funeral. Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Mary, FP, Cheryl, Toni, Peaches 'N Cream, Nana Rose, Pop, Josie, Kevin, Tom, Sierra, are in attendance, along with many others. Josie sings "Amazing Grace" as Archie, Jughead, Reggie, Kevin, FP, and Tom carry the casket. After the town pays their respect, Archie says a few words. Earlier he was thinking how much of Riverdale his dad built and fixed up. From houses to office buildings. He helped build the town, and one day if Archie’s lucky enough to have a child of his own, he’ll be able to point to a building and say "your grandpa made that with his hands." It’s the 4th of July, and so Archie recalls one fourth when it was raining and the firework show was canceled. Archie sat in the backyard crying until his dad came home with enough fireworks to burn the house down. They lit them in the backyard and it was the best of nights. Fred was there for every high and low. The greatest man Archie’s ever known, and it hurts him that he never got to say goodbye, but his spirit and memory live on throughout the town and everyone he’s met. Fred Andrews will always be a part of Riverdale.

Fireworks Show
After the funeral, Mary, Archie, and his friends commemorate Fred one more time. Archie finds his mother looking at old family photos and tells her that it’s time for the fireworks show. Mary and Archie join Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Kevin, Josie, Reggie, Cheryl, and Toni in the backyard as the show begins. Archie imagines if everyone in the world was even half as good as his father was. Veronica says that Archie is, but he disagrees, but that’s how he intends to honor his memory.

Fred's Legacy
Jughead stares at his laptop as he tries to write up Fred’s obituary. He gracefully sums up Fred’s life, garnering overwhelming emotion from those who read it across town, including Hermione, FP, Hiram, Alice, and Pop Tate. Jughead begins with Fred's birth at Riverdale General Hospital and his parents Virginia and Arthur Andrews. Fred led the Riverdale High baseball team to two consecutive state championships. He took over the family business at 18. Got married, had a son, and settled down. Fred saw the good in everyone and always offered a helping hand. Whenever the town was under attack, Fred was on the front line defending it. Fred left Riverdale better than when he found it and that’s his legacy.

Attendees

 * Archie Andrews
 * Mary Andrews
 * Betty Cooper
 * Veronica Lodge
 * Jughead Jones
 * Cheryl Blossom
 * Kevin Keller
 * FP Jones
 * Toni Topaz


 * Josie McCoy
 * Sierra McCoy
 * Reggie Mantle
 * Tom Keller
 * Pop Tate
 * Jellybean Jones
 * Peaches 'N Cream
 * Nana Rose