It has been said that “all the world’s a stage.” This particularly held true for Andre Noel Blickenstaff. Indeed, he was one of the players. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a perpetual performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and was always willing to share that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Andre, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark, or the twinkle of an eye. Andre truly mastered the art of living and had great fun throughout his journey.
Andre first stepped onto the stage of life on November 27, 1985. He first greeted the world at St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, New York. He was the son of Eli and Blanca Blickenstaff. Andre thought his parents were cool. He grew up in Roswell, Georgia, Carriage Station. Even as a child, it seemed as though he had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring, and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention and was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, succeeded in entertaining his entire family. Andre found a box turtle on his first day of kindergarten and he was so proud. He loved his go-kart, playing basketbal in the driveway and football in the front yard.
Always a good playmate, Andre was easygoing and fun-loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even in the middle of family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, he managed to find satisfying solutions to basic problems. He could see all sides of a dispute and managed to bring in his sense of humor whenever it was needed. He was raised with two siblings. Andre had an older sister, Johanna and an older brother, Victor. They got along great, they were playful, loving and did everything together growing up and remained close. Playing basketball, home run derby, sega, nintendo,They loved going to Braves and Falcons games and going to concerts. He loved to hang out, eat chicken teriyaki and visit with his neice. Andre's grandparents were Victor and Lydia Guidos and Ralph and Irene Blickenstaff. Papoo made a surprise visit to Georgia from New York and surprised Andre when he picked him up from school, that made him so happy. Andre's extended family included April Blickenstaff and Kevin Lenahan. He enjoyed playing board games during his visit to Maryland, family vacations and the best man toast he gave at Victor's wedding.
The most memorable thing about Andre's childhood home in New York City was a dome shaped bush in the neighbors yard that was like a cave. All of Andre's playful good nature carried over into his childhood. He had an outgoing personality, a lively imagination, and a rather laid back, go-with-the-flow approach to life. He was constantly on the go. As a result of this, he experienced a rather active childhood and this suited him very well. He enjoyed sports as a child, especially baseball, basketball and soccer. He also had a number of favorite pastimes as a child, including Karate,collecting baseball cards, video games and playing pool. Playing games was always a favorite way to spend time, in particular making tents with sheets, playing football upstairs in the hallway and puzzles. He enjoyed reading, especially Goosebumps, Dr. Seuss and Where's Waldo. He went to Mimosa Elementary School. Some of Andre's biggest accomplishments during this time included a brown belt in karate and his math badges.
Andre was drawn to both individuals and crowds. He frequently used his gregarious and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality led to him having a number of friends, such as Brian Kaplan, J.T. and Matt. He developed a love for animals and pets at an early age and this was evident in his relationship with His dogs Pepe and Missy. He loved chasing and teasing them. Andre also went on a few trips when he was growing up. Disneyworld, Williamsburg, Virginia, Hershey Park Pennsylvania and Busch Gardens were some of his favorites.
Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Andre was a “cut-up” and had a tendency to be the class clown. With the knack for being able to find a joke in just about any situation, whether in class or not, he was always ready with a laugh. He wasn’t the type of person who would say or do things to be unkind or garner all the attention. Rather, Andre simply enjoyed seeing others have a good time and to hear their laughter. As for grades, it could be said that they may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience, even if he wasn't one to get caught up in the academics. For Andre, experience was the best teacher. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying a practical approach to knowledge. He graduated from Fellowship Christian High School in 2004. For Andre, a class or a teacher had to be fun to really capture his attention. Coach Dukes (Basketball) Coach Ari (Soccer) , art and painting, playing basketball, soccer and baseball were some of his favorites.
The high school years were not just about the classroom for Andre. There were a lot of other exciting and interesting things to do and see. He found it easy to become a part of a lot of different groups and activities. This quality allowed him to continually develop new relationships and continually widen his circle of friends. For Andre, they were all potential spectators for his seemingly non-stop performances. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song, or just plain fooling around, he was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. He utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. Just about anyone who knew Andre back then would probably be able to tell a story in which he played the starring role. Some of his friends from this time included Tyler Carlisle, Jeff Ouellette, Jonathan Robinson, Austin Clark, Caleb Riso, Jono Franklin, Jordan DeLoach, Lance Chatham and Richard Grades. Andre was wearing a stuffed bunny during study sessions, scoring a goal during first soccer game of the season, spring break senior year, camping trip at Pine Mountain,"T.B.A.S." Being such an outgoing person, Andre found dating and relationships to come quite naturally.
Andre understood responsibility and took it seriously, despite the fact that he seemed carefree on the surface. This was obvious in a number of different ways. After school, Andre was a cashier at McDonalds in Roswell, Georgia. His first car was a 1997 Red Eclipse. He also had some animal friends in his life at this time, including Missy a Bichon Frise. He loved to chase and tease her. Andre also did a bit of traveling during his high school years. He traveled to Grand Canyon, California and Cancun, Mexico.
Andre reveled in his college years. It was here that his imagination could run free. He was viewed by many of his classmates as being a creative, artistic person. He was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. He was a jovial person who loved to share his passion for fun with others. Yet for Andre, life was not a case of all play and no work. He relished the task of putting his imagination to work in class. He was constantly discovering new and different ways of answering problems, often creating unique and unusual solutions. He attended Georgia Perimeter and studied business marketing. As was the case in high school, it helped if a course or instructor was fun. Some of his favorites were History.
Still, Andre did not totally abandon all of his carefree ways.
He loved sharing life and being surrounded with people he knew and liked. And because of his gregarious nature, there were always plenty of friends, including Trent Williams, Steve Ouellette and his high school friends. Atlanta Braves games, tailgating, Las Vegas and Colorado are some things this group enjoyed. There were other types of friends during this time, especially his dogs Missy and Ducket, his brothers dog Gracy and his sisters dog Molly.
Being so generous, he often found himself involved in a number of different activities.
Like most people, Andre had some stories about his college living arrangements. He started college while living at home in Canton, Georgia with his parents and later he moved to Kennesaw with friends. He also found some time during course breaks to get away from home and do some traveling.
At work, as in life, Andre was a real "people person." He had a very successful way of working effectively with others and his enthusiasm and energy were often contagious. When dealing with various projects and problems, Andre was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the best option. Being a down-to-earth thinker allowed many to see him as an excellent problem-solver. He was a salesman for Verizion. Probably the most unique or interesting job Andre ever held was working as a cashier and usher at the movies. His primary occupation was working as a salesman for Sprint. Some of his accomplishments were receiving employee of the month for Sprint and being invited to work on commission.
Andre made a number of new friends in the workplace, due to his outgoing personality. Some of them included Trent Williams, Matt Matheson and Trevor Bolt. He liked to hang out with his friends.
Andre managed to wrap himself up in all sorts of activities during his career.
Andre enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. He was the kind of person who liked creating things. Some of his favorite pastimes were playing golf, weightlifting, tennis, soccer, frisbee, pool, poker, ping pong and "Video games are cool".
Andre developed a number of favorite things throughout his life. He liked the color blue and Thanksgiving. When it came to food, Andre particularly liked chicken tenders, spaghetti and tuna fish. Sitting down and watching a movie or television show was always something he enjoyed. Rob and Big, Jersey Shore, I love New York, Real Housewifes of Orange County, Hogan Knows Best, ESPN, Doug, Grandma's Boy, Training Day, Catch Me If You Can, Shawshank Redemption, Road to Perdition, Goodwill Hunting, Mystic River, The Green Mile and Pineapple Express. Andre was very passionate about music and enjoyed listening to August Burns Red, The Bled, Killswitch Engage,The Devil Wears Prada, Between the Buried and Me, Underoath, Thursday, Incubus, Most Precious Blood, Bone Thugs n Harmony, As I Lay Dying, Norma Jean, Bless the Fall, Crimson Armada, The Dave Matthews Band, Unearth, Miss May I and Eminem.
Andre felt excited and challenged by sports. Even those times when he may not have been the best, he loved to participate. He thoroughly enjoyed the competition as well as the pleasure of being around other people. He relished any opportunities in which he could make an impact. In fact, it was not uncommon for him to push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, he never seemed to get caught off guard. Even when confronted by the unexpected he was able to react and often succeed, thinking quickly on his feet. He also enjoyed watching his favorite teams and events whenever he got the opportunity. Braves, Falcons, Hawks and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Andre recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his Christian life. He loved to attend Youth Camp.
Andre Noel Blickenstaff left us on April 16, 2011. He was 25 years old. He was preceded in death by his grandparents. He is survived by Mother, Father, Sister, Brother and niece Isabella. Services were handled by Woodstock Funeral Home at the First Baptist Church Woodstock. Andre was laid to rest in Heaven. In lieu of flowers those who wish may make donations to First Baptist Church Woodstock 11905 Georgia Highway 92 Woodstock, Georgia 30188
Andre was always sharing a good laugh and bringing joy to all of those around him. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and a zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Andre Noel Blickenstaff lived life to its fullest and made everyone happier just for knowing him. His beautiful smile and presence here on earth will forever be missed. We all love and miss you Andre!
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18