Tiger, tiger burning bright - International man of mystery

For those who did not get the chance to read it in the IN ZHUHAI Magazine, here's the moving text written by Karen, Andrew Pagliero's sister.
Christmas is coming Andrew, we all miss you so much.

Andrew Pagliero, Austin Powers, same initials, same gusto for life perhaps, but certainly the similarities must end there - though charmers both, the smile Andrew was so well-known for revealed a much prettier orthodontic picture!

British by nationality, Andrew Craig Pagliero was born in Antwerp, Belgium on June 12th 1974, Chinese year of the Tiger, entering the world with a fire and excitement for being that would fuel his adulthood and the plethora of enterprises, endeavors and adventures he engineered for himself and those closest to him.
He was involved in a fatal collision on September 23rd 2007 returning to Zhuhai from Dongguan when a lorry failed to stop at a red light. In one searing, unconscionable, broken instant the lights in Andrew’s very bright, luminescent world blacked out and the fragments of a million hearts were forever torn in the deluge he leaves behind. Thirty-three brief years, all of them lived with Andrew’s personal brand of enigma-infused passion, have certainly left a global footprint and as such he is touchingly remembered by his dear friend and former business partner: “He was the life of the party, the man with the looks, charm and an infectious warmth that held the room, but that does not even begin to describe him. He truly cared and made those around him feel special, wanted and loved. He would do anything for a friend and I was blessed to be one of them.”

A definite sense of mischief prevailed throughout the course of his everyday, from the craftiest pranks of the naughty child to the cheeky skullduggery of more recent times.

His entrepreneurial flair was established very early on at boarding school, where at eight years of age he sold contraband confectionary for many times over current market value. Thus his first business, run from a standard tuck-box yielding generous, delicious dividends, inspired his sweet hunger for success.

Traditional British schooling laid a solid foundation for his remarkably untraditional lifestyle. At school Andrew excelled in sport, and this athletic gift probably served him well as he explored mines in remotest China in his quest to learn completely the intricate order of the mineral world.

Before his arrival in Zhuhai, Andrew‘s fascination for travel, learning, world culture and diversity was pivotal in his plans, and experiences fit for big budget movie trailers followed. At fifteen he campaigned feverishly for sponsorship to secure a mission to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Shortly thereafter his subsequent efforts led him to the Indonesian jungle and an encounter with native tribal leaders from whom he was obliged to gain permission in order to continue through their territory. Andrew was always ready to live out the adventures that life presented him.

Asia was introduced to Andrew by his wife Yvonne, whom he met while they both studied gemology in Germany. In Hong Kong Andrew’s love-affair with life took flight and the Far East became his territory and his playground. He explored it earnestly, learning to speak very convincing Mandarin (albeit, according to one reliable source, spoken like a ‘mountain boy’) and gaining the trust of Chinese traders (who were often many years his senior). He embraced the opportunity for thrilling enterprise and took others with him for the brilliant, beautiful ride. Andrew’s refusal to accept mediocrity on any level ensured that his existence was an adventure of best selling novel proportions, involving incredible travel to amazing places all over the world and bringing together the most unlikely of people.

Put simply, he built his life on humour, fun and love.

The expectations and goals Andrew set for himself were fantastically (sometimes even impossibly) huge and he exacted the same high standards from the family and friends in his immediate circle – always challenging, never quite totally satisfied.

From Hong Kong to Kunming and then there were three. Yvonne and Andrew welcomed their beloved son Zenon to their family as their Sino-ventures took on a new dimension. Their commitment to China was solidifying and they gladly signed on as rookie ex-patriates.

Vibrant, charged-up, charismatic: all these speak to the man he was and aspired to be, and another city soon became the focus for new opportunity, this time, the famously Romantic City of Zhuhai.

Here the Pagliero trio invested in real estate and built their first home together where the family flourished organically; a carefully balanced blend of Chinese culture and European heritage generated a household where international cuisine, multi-lingual conversation and unrivaled hospitality were guaranteed. A galloping gourmet in training, Andrew was quick to assume responsibility for their home’s culinary detail and became famous in Zhuhai for his extravagant Christmas lunches.

From its infancy the intrigue of this life in China had immediately commanded pride and captivated interest across the miles from Andrew’s parents, Margaret and Jeremy, and they quickly became frequent visitors to the Far East. In addition to the Peoples’ Republic, expertly guided by their son and daughter-in-law, they toured Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and latterly came to know Zhuhai and its trove of dining treasures and rich personalities quite intimately, almost as a second home.

Maybe a more closely guarded facet to the entire and apparently tireless gem that was Andrew was his sense of family, evidenced in his utter devotion to his wife and child. Zenon’s physical resemblance to his father is almost a carbon copy, but in the short time they were given together it is clear that Andrew co-nurtured with Yvonne to help their boy develop his own spirited personality. The pride and utter depth of love between them was ever clear and present. Zenon is his father’s finest legacy, and Andrew’s true ‘best friend’.

A keen communicator and lover of technological paraphernalia, Andrew’s final words were transmitted in text form: “I’ll be home soon.” May he have reached his ultimate home peacefully.

Passionate, kind, intelligent, driven, unequivocally ambitious, always generous, creative, funny, sharp-witted: the words are descriptive and yet fall short of the whole. There was so much more, enigmatic and down to earth all at once. Delicate and tenderhearted, yet ruthlessly determined and complex.

Andrew, my ‘little’ brother, you have towered over me for so long, literally, figuratively, metaphorically. I and many others have learned from you, been enlightened by you, and have been forced into living more worthily, more intensely, more imaginatively. Thank you for exceptional times shared!

Son, Husband, Father, Brother and Friend
You are so profoundly missed and we honour your memory.
Rest in peace, Bei Li An ±´利安

“I am the delightful Paradox.
All the world is my stage.
I set new trails ablaze;
I seek the unattainable,
And try the untried.
I dance to life’s music
In gay abandon.
Come with me on my carousel rides.
See the myriad of colours,
The flickering lights.
All hail me, the unparalleled performer.
I AM THE TIGER.”