SARATOGA SPRINGS — Andrea Holcomb Gardner, aged 71, passed away at home in Saratoga Springs on Dec. 8, 2020, after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer, which she faced with the dignity, courage, intelligence, ferocity, pragmatism, and grace that were hallmarks of her too-short life.
The daughter of Roberta Cole and Albert Holcomb, Andrea was a Michigan native and attended Seaholm High School and Western Michigan University. In the 1970s, she lived with her former husband Thomas Gardner in the Adirondacks, where she was a social worker. The Gardners moved to Saratoga Springs in 1977, where Andrea embraced the community and raised her daughters Ashley and Rachel. She dedicated her life to serving on numerous boards and committees, exploring the natural environment, enhancing her own historic property, and appreciating the cultural breadth of the city. Andrea showcased her love of people through her work at the Saratoga Springs City Center, ultimately as Director of Sales, helping to draw droves of visitors to the downtown she loved.
Gracious and gregarious, Andrea fostered friendships across a wide and diverse spectrum of people, whether at a PTA meeting, playing pickleball, at a party, or in the pool. She treated all people with respect, always affirming their value, and her friends share that being around Andrea’s “calm, curiosity, and light” both improved their lives and propelled them to live up to the best self she saw in them. One friend described Andrea as “devoted” to her passions, especially her children and grandchildren, as well as to the beauty and well-being of Saratoga Springs. Another quoted her as emphasizing that she wanted to “leave the world a better place for her grandchildren.”
Andrea was also known for her ingenuity, was a wiz with a toolbox, had a green thumb, and loved a good dirty martini. She loved to dance, spend time on horseback, and float down the river in a canoe. She had an innate gift for interior design and had overseen the renovations of several historic properties, including her own home.
In her younger years she sailed from Hawaii to California, windsurfed choppy waters, ski-bummed in Vail and the Alps, and cycled through Europe, ultimately burning her luggage on the tarmac favoring the weight of her new bicycle. One friend recalls that in 1991, Andrea began joining a group of women participating in fitness weekends at Camp Chingachgook, in Lake George. “Andi made sure we all survived the itinerary of hiking, ropes courses, tennis, and camp activities, reveling in the sheer joy of our freedom.”
Andrea knew how to play. She joined friends in tennis, pickleball, and mahjong, and excelled at jigsaw puzzles, Scrabble, and crosswords. She loved pre-performance picnics at SPAC, where she was a life member, weekend getaways, and breakfast at the farmers’ market. She rarely declined an invitation and was a witty and animated partner in discussions of politics, gardening, the arts (especially dance), travel, and relationships. Andrea was a second mother to many and gave sage advice. She was sought after as a loyal companion for both her mystery and her openness. She was known to say she did not take the blessings in her life for granted.
She was president of her investment club (The Divas) for nearly 25 years, a generous Christmas host, and frequently the driver to the club’s winter retreat at Big Wolf in the Adirondacks. In sub-zero temps, her trusty Subaru was the only one to start.
Andrea traveled the world, joyfully undertaking adventures in the Yucatán, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Portugal, Paris, Italy, Peru, Belize, Roatan, and the Alps. Despite her pursuit of adventure, she was never happier than at her own hearth in Saratoga Springs, into which she welcomed all comers with a grace and openness that made her the centerpiece of her family and tribe of friends. One said, “She was the archetypical hostess, but most of all, she was our rock.”
Andrea possessed a notion for how life should be. For her, every stranger was a potential friend, every person had an important story, and every problem had a solution she could navigate with clarity and calm. She took pride in the process of life. She found joy in the mundane and comedy in crisis. She valued experiences over outcomes and lived her life with simple abundance. One close friend said, “There are two kinds of people: those who knew and loved her, and those who wish they knew her.”
Andrea is survived by her daughters, Ashley Gardner (Kevin Wood) and Rachel Gardner (Alejandra Bernal); grandchildren Devon and Riley Gardner-Wood; sister-in-law Jeanette Holcomb, nephews Scott (Melissa) Holcomb and Chad Holcomb, her companion of several decades, Tim Shoen; her platonic life partner Deborah Koransky, and her former husband, Thomas Gardner, along with an infinite collection friends and loved ones. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Gary Holcomb.
While no gathering is currently planned to memorialize Andrea due to COVID-19, the family plans to meet with friends to joyously celebrate her life sometime in 2021. In lieu of flowers, please visit www.burkefuneralhome.com for memorial donation information, to sign the guest book and share photos and memories.
