Andrea del Monte Thatcher

December 23, 1927 – March 11, 2025

CARMEL, CALIFORNIA – Andrea Del Monte Thatcher passed away peacefully on March 11, 2025. Born in French Camp, California, near Stockton, Andrea and her parents, Andrew and Edith (Ridenour) Del Monte began their visits to Carmel in 1935. By the summer of 1940, Carmel had become their permanent home. That fall, Andrea entered the eighth grade just as Carmel High School opened its doors for the very first time. She went on to graduate with the Class of 1945, beginning a lifelong bond with the town and its community.

She went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley, where she reconnected with a fellow Carmel High graduate, Peter Thatcher. The two were married on April 4, 1948, at the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel. Their marriage was the beginning of a loving partnership filled with family, service, and adventure. They lived in Spokane, Washington, Redondo Beach, Saratoga, Berkeley, and for 35 years in the Lafayette/Moraga area.

A proud third-generation Californian, Andrea had a lifelong passion for community service. As a high school student during World War II, she joined the Junior Women’s Volunteer Services and held several student leadership positions.

Her dedication to helping others continued throughout her life. In 1960, she began volunteering at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, serving on the Volunteer Board for twelve years and as President in 1972. After her board service, she accepted the role of Volunteer Director at Children’s Hospital in Oakland, where she helped develop an interdisciplinary program to support the emotional and social needs of hospitalized children.

In 1980, Andrea was invited to create a volunteer program at Peralta Hospital in Oakland. During this time, she also earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Sciences from the University of San Francisco.

Andrea was a leader in her field, serving as President of the Northern California Association of Directors of Volunteer Services and contributing to several national committees with the American Society of Directors of Volunteer Services. Later she was actively involved with the Carmel Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. Andrea served as the Chairman of the Board for three years.

Though life and career took Andrea and Pete away from the Monterey Peninsula for many years, they were never far from frequent visits home with her beloved parents, Edith and Andy. Carmel was always in their hearts, and in 1993, they returned to the place they loved most to enjoy their retirement. One of their first joyful undertakings was organizing a Grand Reunion in the fall of 1994, bringing together all Carmel High School classes from the 1940s. More than 300 former classmates traveled from around the world to celebrate a heartfelt weekend of shared memories and renewed friendships.

Andrea treasured the simple pleasures of life with Pete—traveling with close friends, playing relaxed rounds of golf, and strolling together along the shores of Carmel Beach. Their spiritual lives were equally fulfilling; they were long-standing members of the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church and found great joy in their involvement with the Church in the Forest in Pebble Beach.

Her children lovingly remember her: Stephen (Karen), Michael (Renee), Robert, and Deborah; her grandchildren: Brian (Kelly) and Lindsey (Skip) Schumaker; and her great-grandchildren: Brody and Presley Schumaker, and Sydney and Trevor Thatcher. Andrea was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Peter Thatcher.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to her devoted caregiver, Sunita Kumar, and the compassionate staff at Carmel Hills Care Center and Hospice of the Central Coast.

A private interment will take place at El Carmelo Cemetery in Pacific Grove on Friday, August 1, at 11:00 a.m.

For more information or to share memories, please visit: www.thepaulmortuary.com