Shari Marilyn Andrew

Shari Marilyn Andrew was born to Malcolm (deceased) and Margaret Holliwell on March 9, 1959 in North York, Ontario. She passed away August 3, 2022 at Mackenzie Health in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Shari was a loving and devoted wife to David Andrew, mother to Melissa (Andrew) Pitre and Michael Andrew, mother-in-law to David Pitre, sister to Lynn Lefler, Donna Voglar, Gail Messina, Beverly Holliwell, Darlene Holliwell, and Steven Holliwell (deceased), Michael John Holliwell (deceased), and Karen-Jean Holliwell (deceased), and daughter-in-law to David and Maureen Andrew.

To try and encapsulate the amazing human being that was Shari Andrew in a few sentences, paragraphs or even an entire novel is simply not possible. All words and phrases that come to mind and that you might expect to hear or read simply do not do her justice. Much like attempting to describe a clear starry summer night sky or a beautiful pink sunset, one could never capture the magnitude of Shari’s beauty in its entirety through the written word. Shari’s beauty transcends all that we are capable of describing. While beautiful both inside and out, the real magic about Shari Andrew was the undeniably happy, calming, and inspiring feeling you were gifted simply by her presence. Her devotion to family, friends, and all loved ones was unparalleled. Her ability to bring joy to any room lucky enough to have her in it was unmatched.

If it were possible and any of us were lucky enough to view the world through Shari’s eyes, you would quickly see the loving family and home she created. A home so loving and so welcoming that it organically turned into a place everyone wanted to congregate. Shari and Dave hosted countless family holidays together as anyone who knows them could tell you that that family always came first. At these parties you would see the copious amounts of delicious food and drink. You would see the seemingly endless stack of tapes and CD’s on rotation through the stereo system. You would see the joy on everyone’s face who attended. You would also see that Shari loved to dance and found a way to do so at every possible moment on every occasion. Whether a quick little dance move to keep the fun going or a full out dance party, Shari was never one to turn down the chance to dance!

Continuing to look through Shari’s eyes you would see she had an acute vision for beauty combined with the impressive ability to create it everywhere. You would see that she achieved and lived out her dreams in Mexico where she shared a house on the beach with her husband and close friends. She fostered and cared for many dogs during these journeys. She also taught English, participated in community art projects, practiced yoga, began to learn Spanish, and made many friends along the way.

Looking through Shari’s eyes you would see one of her favorite places in the world was the family cottage. She and her husband Dave spent as much time there as possible and were never short of projects to do together. They loved long boat rides, swimming in the lake, cooking dinner together every night, and covering the cottage grounds with beautiful flowers. You would see that their love was, is and always will be a special love that is a rarity in this world. It is something that everyone should hope for and would be lucky to find.

Whether or not you look through Shari’s eyes, it is undoubtedly clear that she had a special bond with her two children.

She and her daughter Melissa did not miss a day without speaking and got together at every possible opportunity. They loved spending long weekends together and having sleepovers. They would make dinners together, watch movies, drink wine, put on face masks and chat all night! Shari always offered the best advice. Melissa, and in fact, all her friends loved to be around and hang out with Shari and ask her about love and life. Their bond was special and remains unbreakable.

Shari and her son Michael also had a special bond. Michael is a man of few words but no words were necessary for Shari to know exactly what Michael was thinking or feeling. In fact, this worked both ways as both Shari and Michael had the ability to understand each other in any situation no matter what the circumstance. They enjoyed playing games together, putting puzzles together at the cottage, sitting by the fire, eating burnt marshmallows, having drinks together, and toasting to any and all good things in life! Another special and unbreakable bond.

Shari was truly a blessing to this world and will be immensely missed by all those who knew and continue to love her.