Andrea Kaye Jarrell

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Celebration of Life Gathering at Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home, 4747 Veterans Memorial Blvd., in Metairie, LA on Thursday, October 31, 2024 from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM.

Andrea Kaye Jarrell entered the world on Halloween, October 31st, 1963. Her mother, Mary Strong

Summers, used to joke that she came in on a broom. She left the world at age 60. Andrea lived in the

Harahan part of New Orleans. She had congestive heart failure for several years and died in peace at the

Passages Hospice.

Andrea was born in Irving, TX to Mary Strong Jarrell, later Mary Strong Summers. The father was Dan

Jarrell both from the Henderson, TX area. Andrea’s older sister, Danna Strong, resides in Nashville, TN.

When she was five her mother married Jim Summers. He fulfilled a life-long father role. Andrea’s mother

died in 2012. Danna, other cousins, and many good friends continue on with life.

As a career, Andrea was a registered clinical dietician from 1990 to 2024. She helped people with dietary

concerns in a variety of hospital and nursing home settings. She obtained two undergraduate degrees:

Nichols State University, Thibodaux (1991) and the University of New Orleans (1987). Food, cooking, and

health were important to her. Even late in life, while contending with declining health, her eyes would

light up when she spoke about cooking. She loved cooking and when not cooking often was watching

cooking shows on TV.

In earlier phases of her life, she enjoyed going to parties, travel, and always liked being by the water or in

the water. She certainly did her fair share of fishing. Hurricane Katrina was a big shock to her life, as it

was for so many others. During the hurricane she had to swim out of her home near Delgado. The

hospital where she worked could no longer employ so many people, including her. This led to

predictable economic hardships and dislocations. Like so many others, she came back from it but it did

set her back.

As might be expected of someone so full of sunshine and life, she had many friends with whom she

socialized often. Providing wonderful food was often part of the event.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to The Cajun Navy or Feeding America in Andrea's memory.