Grace Aldrich Andersen of Jacksonville, Fla., died on January 14, 2018. She was the daughter of Louise (Geiler) and William P. Aldrich Jr. of Montclair, N.J. Mrs. Andersen was an alumna of Kimberly Academy in Montclair and Pine Manor Junior College in Massachusetts. She also attended Katharine Gibbs School in New York City.
In 1970, Mrs. Andersen left New Jersey and moved to Massachusetts, where she lived for almost 15 years. She then moved to Jacksonville, where she was a member of Deerwood Country Club, Ponte Vedra Club, and The River Club. An intrepid world traveler and longtime water and snow skier, she also enjoyed spending time in Switzerland, where she often welcomed her children and their families on ski trips.
Mrs. Andersen always had at least one dog in her home, most recently rescue dogs, and was a strong supporter of organizations involved with animals. In 2016, she endowed the Grace Andersen Pet Visitation Program at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville. The program oversees visits by accredited support animals to bring much-needed relief to hospital patients.
A loving and involved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Mrs. Andersen is survived by her three children, William, Sharman, and Einar and his wife, Betsey; four granddaughters; and three great-grandsons.
Those who would like to make a gift in memory of Mrs. Andersen are invited to donate to Bonnie Brae, a New Jersey-based residential community for at-risk boys (www.bonnie-brae.org), which she supported for more than 50 years, River Garden Hebrew Home in Jacksonville (www.rivergarden.org), where she lived for the last two years of her life, or an organization of their choice.
Mrs. Andersen will be missed by all who knew her.
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