Sunset in Hawaii – for Andy Schaeffer
Andy Schaeffer passed away today.
I worked with Andy for eleven years during my stint in Broadcast Television. Andy was a breath of fresh air in an all too often sad business. His wit and humor were as unique as the seemingly endless supply of Hawaiian shirts he had in his closet.
Andy Schaeffer lived life on his own terms. His unique perspective on life showed through his lens as a photographer, ever the consummate professional, and in his witty repartee and often sarcastic view of things. He loved his work, his life, his family and his coffee and not in that order.
He was a generous human being in a crowd of those who more often than not were not so. We saw each other rarely after my departure from television, but we kept in touch online. His signature style of greeting when our paths did cross felt as familiar as they had on my last day at the station.
He brought a lighthearted view of things from his brightly colored shirts to his warm smile and sparking eyes wherever he went.
As the sun sets it’s a little dimmer today. Simply put, Andy was one of the good guys. Thank you Andy for being you. I, among many, will miss you.
If you believe in prayer or positive vibrations or simply compassion for the loss of a genuinely kind human being, please send comforting thoughts to his family. They will surely miss him most of all.
Andrea Susan Valentine Gelfuso Goetz is the author of “My Modena – A Year of Fear, Laughter and Exhilaration in Italy“.
After her husband was given a job for a year in Italy, Andrea and the rest of their family joined him on the adventure; and what an adventure it was.
Often trying to do the simplest of things, her story captures the hilarity of an American in Italy trying to navigate a country that seems as foreign as should be familiar. She spent a year in Italy in an apartment that was like camping, with tile, in a town full of ancient churches, like God’s attic. Come meet Melanie, a fashionista who can make ATMs bend to her will from a hundred miles away. Her landlady Giovanna, who taught her to make risotto as golden as her smile, and her husband, Raimondo, who stood by serenely as six firefighters tried to get Andrea and her family back into their 7th floor apartment – using a ladder truck. Meet Piero, the artist who told her Modena’s most beautiful secrets, and Luca, who sold her boots so fabulous she re-soled them three times. Meet Danilo, Fabio, and Marcello, heart-stoppingly gorgeous Italians. And a mime who knew a lot more than he was saying.
NOW AVAILABLE
My Modena
A Year of Fear, Laughter, and Exhilaration in Italy
“My Modena is an utterly hilarious memoir of expat life in Modena, Italy.“
“Every page of this marvelous book is a laugh-out-loud treasure as you walk along with Andrea on her incredible journey of frustration, exhilaration, laughter, and ultimately beautiful memories of a year she’ll never forget; and neither will you.”
– Journey Institute Press
