5 minute read
The Retzbach Family: Designing & Creating Their Perfect Life
Resident Feature by Liz Burnett
Photos courtesy of Shannon Lynn Photography www.ShannonLynnPhotography.com
Sometimes, a life “chapter” happens more quickly for some folks than it does for others. At such times, being creative and able to pedal faster are skills that come in very handy! Meet two neighbors, Andy and Katy Retzbach, who have graciously agreed to share their experience with doing just that.
Andy Retzbach grew up in Glenolden. As a kid, he loved knowing how things were put together. He would learn by taking things apart and putting them back together. Andy probably didn’t know it at the time but his future career would require that his hands and brain work very well together.
After Andy graduated from Ridley Park High School and finished one semester at Neumann College, he decided to enter the Air Force. He joined right after 9/11, at age 18. During his 3 years of active duty, he earned an Associate of Science degree and was stationed all over the US and in South Korea for 18 months. Now a Veteran, Andy has worked as a Steamfitter with Local Union 420 since 2006, and hopes to someday become a Foreman. “I love working with my hands and creating things,” Andy explained. He also developed those skills 20 years ago, while working on boats as a marine mechanic.
Katy and Andy Retzbach
Photo courtesy of Shannon Lynn Photography www.ShannonLynnPhotography.com
Katy Retzbach grew up in Havertown. She loved helping her dad with DIY projects around the house, like installing hardwood floors, running electrical into bedrooms, and doing other odds and ends. She also loved frequently rearranging her bedroom. So after she graduated from Haverford High School, she attended Arcadia University, and graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Interior Design. In 2013, Katy received a Master’s degree in Interior Architecture and Design from Drexel University.
While working for five years for custom cabinet manufacturer Village Handcrafted Cabinetry, Katy worked on a lot of Interior Design side jobs, so many that in 2015, she decided to start her own business, Designs by Katy Lynn (www.DesignsByKatyLynn.com). “Every design is different and exciting!” Katy raved. “Each project has its own problems and needs, so it's never the same thing over and over again.” Katy dreams of someday opening up a showroom/storefront as well as continuing her Interior Design business.
Andy and Katy met in September 2013, on Match.com. Before meeting in person, they emailed, texted and talked by phone for six months. Their meeting finally took place at Andy’s parents’ house in Ridley Park, where he was living because the house he owned was rented at that time.
Three years later, Andy and Katy got married at the Old Homestead Golf Club in New Tripoli, PA. They chose that venue (an hour away from Havertown) because it’s an old bank barn whose architectural details Katy loves. And Andy, who enjoys hunting, also felt that barn’s rustic setting was perfect for them and their guests. After honeymooning in Costa Rica for two weeks, they moved into their home in Newtown Square, where they’ve lived since 2016.
The Retzbach Family (left to right): Harper, Katy, Scarlett, Andy, Andrew Jr.
Photo courtesy of Shannon Lynn Photography www.ShannonLynnPhotography.com
In just three years, these newlyweds have blossomed into a family of 5! Their daughter Harper, who turned 2 in October, is a “happy little girl who loves to sing, dance and laugh!” She attends The Malvern School, and is a big fan of playground swings, running around on playgrounds, and getting dirty in playground sand and dirt. She also loves any type of art, an interest/gift likely inherited from her two creative parents. But she “absolutely LOVES animals!” and spends a lot of time with the Retzbach’s two Terrier-mix dogs, Peter and Frankie, and their new pet goldfish, Dorothy. Harper is already famous at St. Anastasia Church, where she likes to run out of the pew and towards the altar at Mass most Sundays.
The Retzbach children ( left to right ): Scarlett, Harper, Andrew Jr.
Photo courtesy of Shannon Lynn Photography www.ShannonLynnPhotography.com
Toddler Harper became a big sister in July when Katy and Andy welcomed twins Andrew Jr. and Scarlett into their family. Now 4 months old, they’re already showing their distinct personalities. Scarlett is “very calm and chill” and loves to sleep. Andrew is “a little all over the place: very happy one minute and very fussy the next.” Katy’s mom is retired and watches the twins full time while Katy and Andy are at work. Time will soon tell what Andrew and Scarlett’s common and unique interests are. Right now, they both enjoy life’s simple pleasures: eating and laying on their play mat.
When Katy and Andy moved to Newtown Square in 2016, she was already familiar with the area. Now that she and Andy are busy parents of 3 kids under age 3, they are VERY grateful that their parents and many other relatives all live nearby. And by coincidence, their next-door neighbor is the father of one of Andy’s grade school friends.
The Retzbach Family (left to right): mom Katy, Scarlett, Harper, dad Andy, Andrew Jr.
Photo courtesy of Shannon Lynn Photography www.ShannonLynnPhotography.com
Andy and Katy now also have more in common: Katy was recently baptized a Catholic. Since their daughter Harper’s Baptism, Katy had seriously been considering becoming a Catholic. Last Spring, when the time felt right and not rushed, she completed the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program and made her profession of faith at St. Anastasia’s Easter Vigil.
Andy and Katy also make a special effort to support their local and wider communities: They volunteer at their church and at events that benefit veterans and all armed forces. Katy serves on the Board of the local NKBA chapter (National Kitchen and Bath Association). And Andy helps local kids study for the test to be in the Steamfitters’ Union.
As Katy and Andy look forward life’s next “chapter” — their kids being old enough to enjoy some road-trip vacations — they’re humble enough to thoroughly enjoy another thing they have in common, something they’ve long considered one of life’s simple pleasures: Playing 2-hand touch football.
Reader Leaders: Tell us about your family, friends and neighbors whom you think readers of Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors would like to "meet" in an upcoming issue. Email Liz Burnett at LBurnett@BestVersionMedia.com.
