Andrea Kathryn Sawyer Hooge
March 27, 1973 – Dec. 4, 2016
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our beloved daughter, sister, niece, aunt, cousin and friend. Andrea was born in Boston, Massachusetts and died in Seattle, Washington, her home for the past 9 years. When she was two she moved back to Canada with her parents and grew up in Vancouver, BC.
Andrea is survived by her parents, Brenda (Conrad) and John (Cathy), her brother Sam (Christine), nieces Lola and Farrah, aunt (Sidney) and uncle (Syd), and cousins Josh (Brigid and their daughter Maeve) and Max.
Andrea attended high school at York House School, received her BA from the University of Western Ontario, and completed her MBA at Royal Roads University. Her career took her to work in Calgary, Edmonton, New York City and Seattle. Andrea was extremely personable and made good friends wherever she went. She loved to travel and explored the world whenever she could enjoying art museums, theatre, different cultures and experiences. Since she was a child Andrea loved vacationing on Salt Spring Island with her family and in Kelowna at her paternal grandparents’ lakeshore home. Both were always very special places for her.
Andrea was compassionate, loving, sensitive, insightful and kind to others. People were drawn to her love of life, her enthusiasm, her wonderful sense of humour and her delightful laugh. Andrea was very intelligent and curious about people and places. That was so apparent in all she accomplished in her short life, and the diverse people she connected with everywhere. She loved her family and friends and they in turn loved her. She touched people’s lives in very important ways.
Andrea was particularly passionate about art and explored many creative pursuits. She was an artist in so many ways – in her paintings, her love of colour, her appreciation of beauty, her love of flowers, her writing and her vibrancy. She entertained with flair and delight, loving good food and bringing people together. Andrea was a voracious reader and always found great comfort in books and the escape and wider experiences they offered.
As we grieve her loss we are holding her spirit in our hearts. That spirit will live on forever. She will be missed so much. Andrea died prematurely from complications due to cirrhosis. In lieu of flowers donations may be made, if you choose, in Andrea’s name to any organization working with addictions and mental health issues.
A Celebration of Andrea’s life will be held in Vancouver at a later date.