Antonia Andrews

1937 - 2025

Antonia Andrews

January 19, 1937 - January 5, 2025

Antonia (Wuest) Andrews passed away at her Sylvania home on Sunday, January 5, 2025. She was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 19, 1937. As a young child living in Nashville, Antonia, or "Toni" as she was often known, was surrounded by art and nature. She was greatly influenced by both of her parents, her father, a landscape architect, and her mother, a clay artist. While her two sisters studied art, Toni pursued history, yet remained immersed in the arts.

Upon graduation from Northwestern University, Toni married Joe Bill Andrews. Throughout their 61 years of marriage, they lived in numerous places, Rock Island, IL; Pittsburgh, PA; Cincinnati, OH; Milwaukee, WI; York, PA; Port Huron, MI; Toledo, OH; and Sylvania, OH. When Toni moved to Toledo with her husband and family, she began to work at the Toledo Botanical Gardens, running the Garden Gallery until 1995. Toni then ventured to Saxon Square in Sylvania, opening the American Gallery. It was there she exhibited many art pieces from local, regional, and national artists. Nature, another passion of Toni's, profoundly influenced the gallery and the work she sold.

Toni's eye for artists and their stories fueled the American Gallery. Her ability to encourage growing artists helped blossom many future artistic careers. As if she were picking out the perfect bouquet of summer flowers, Toni picked the pieces she liked the most from each artist. She enjoyed asking artists about their work and their influences.

She wasn't just selling art to the community, Toni genuinely cared about each artist's process and why they chose particular elements in their work, and loved sharing these stories with gallery customers. She was recognized by the Athena Art Society and Sylvania Arts for her support of local artists

Toni created not only a professional and comfortable space where artists could showcase their work, but also a place where she welcomed many from our community, including young children, to appreciate and learn about the beautiful world of fine art.

Toni was also a Master Gardener, took special pride in living in Sylvania, and wholeheartedly embraced the Oak Openings Region, of which Sylvania is part. She was a proud member of the Sylvania Tree Commission and Wild Ones. After transferring ownership of the gallery, she could be seen on a regular basis working in her garden, and in the Oak Openings wildflower meadow which she created with the help of the City of Sylvania Parks and Forestry Department

Toni's infectious enthusiasm will be remembered and missed by many. Toni was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Bill Andrews; and her sisters, Barbara Rader and Carla Hibbitts. Toni leaves behind three married children, Katie Cappellini (Tom Cappellini), Ted Andrews (Ellen Andrews), and Barbara Andrews (Dietmar Lorenz). She also leaves behind five grandchildren, Owen Cappellini, Grace Cappellini, Leo Lorenz, Lina Lorenz, and Harry Andrews.

A celebration of life will be held in Sylvania this summer to commemorate Toni and Joe's lives.