Mathews, Andrea
Andrea Stowe Mathews, daughter of the late Anne Swenning Mathews and the late Richard Stanley Mathews and wife of Roy Neal Sharp, died at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on June 24th, 2014 at the age of 54. She was born March 26, 1960, in Boston, Massachusetts. Andrea celebrated her final birthday with friends over lunch at Fronimo's restaurant.
Andrea graduated from Darien High School in Darien, Connecticut, in 1978, as a member of the National Honor Society and in college, from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1982, with honors. She majored in International Politics and Communications. Following her graduation from college, Andrea joined the U.S. Foreign Service, serving at the U.S. embassies in Mexico City and in Abidjan, in the Ivory Coast. Andrea's mother had encouraged Andrea's interest in other cultures and especially, in the archaeology of other modern and ancient cultures. Like her mother, Andrea loved to travel, and Andrea used her assignments as an opportunity to visit archaeological sites in Mexico and Guatemala and to visit the countries in West Africa that border the Ivory Coast. After Andrea met Roy in 1989, they travelled together on long weekend trips to Lome the capital of Togo; to Bamako the capital of Mali, to the ancient city of Timbuktu; and to Niamey, the capital of Niger. On another occasion, Andrea toured the southern coast of Ghana.
Besides travel, Andrea's favorite hobbies were yoga and studying/learning/practicing foreign languages.
In addition to her husband, Roy, Andrea is survived by her brother, Richard Mathews of Elm City, North Carolina; Rick's wife Susie; their son, Brian, and Brian's wife Liz, who live in Livingston, Montana. Other survivors include: Andrea's stepson, Troy Sharp of Clayton, North Carolina, Troy's wife Renee; and their daughter, Autumn; Andrea's stepdaughter, Christina Monaco of Nashua, New Hampshire, and her two children, Anthony and Michaila; and many loving friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heifer International, which helps poor communities around the world to become self-sufficient through education (Heifer.org), the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (cfsaz.org), which provides information to the public on how to connect with community resources; Planned Parenthood of Arizona (plannedparenthood.org/ppaz), or the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (hssaz.org). Andrea wishes to thank you for celebrating her life and her vision of a world where we can coexist in peace, whatever our personal, spiritual or religious beliefs are.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
2 Entries
She sounds like a wonderful person. May you find comfort in the happy memories you have with her.
July 7, 2014
You have my deepest sympathy for your loss. May caring thoughts and loving words comfort your family at this time of sorrow. (John 5:25-29)
June 27, 2014
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 results
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read moreWhat kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read moreWe'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreIf you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read moreLegacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreThey're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read more