Andrew Fletcher Edgerton

Andrew (Andy) Fletcher Edgerton passed away with family and friends at his side on Sun., October 22, 2017, after living with stage IV pancreatic cancer for more than 2 years. A memorial service followed by a celebration of his life will be held at 4:00pm on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at The Martin Event Space, 13440 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 64145.

Andy was born on October 23, 1977, in Kansas City, Missouri. His family and worldwide network of friends and colleagues admired Andy’s courage; puckish spirit; and his vibrant, enigmatic, and inexhaustible charisma. Andy’s hunger for life (and pickles) was insatiable. Where others failed to see connections, Andy’s facile mind pulled together people and ideas, helping in unimagined ways.

Andy grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where he attended Red Bridge Elementary and Center High School. He was an Eagle Scout, a member of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say and governor of the State of Missouri for Youth in Government. After high school, Andy moved to Washington, where he earned a political science degree from the University of Puget Sound. Then he spent a semester at sea traveling 24,000 miles, visiting all continents except Antarctica. He went on to earn a Masters in international relations and human rights from the University of Auckland in New Zealand and an MBA in global management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management with a focus on strategy and leadership development.

Andy launched his career working in international development, managing teams in more than 20 countries. He served as a business development manager for the International Red Cross and later joined Gallup as Director of Client Development. Ultimately, he ran his own mission-based consulting group specializing in strategy, organizational capacity and international trade. Andy advised companies and institutions in fields ranging from education technology to environmental housing. Most recently he acted as Harvard School of Public Health’s special adviser for the SHINE Program at the Center for Health and Global Environment. Eventually, Andy’s disease forced him to focus on his health and advocating for others dealing with cancer.

Each moment of Andy’s life was an adventure; and every person he met was exulted to join his endeavors. Whether working with the Red Cross in Haiti, skydiving in New Zealand, or simply cajoling a friend to go on a “3-hour tour” to a sporting goods store, Andy willed the most out of every person, every day.

Andy is survived by his loving family: father Thomas (Tom) F. Edgerton; mother JoAnna (Jody) Swartz Edgerton; brother Barton (Bart) Edgerton; sister-in-law Christine Edgerton; nephews Maxwell (Max), Theodore (Theo), and Nicholas (Cole); many uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. Most significantly, Andy is survived by his most cherished adventure of all, his children Fletcher (Fletch) Joseph (5) and Marion Louise (2).

The family wishes to thank Andy’s physicians, nurses, and other caregivers at the University of Kansas Cancer Center South for their compassion and loving care during his illness. They would also like to thank the wonderful staff at the Kansas City Hospice House for the care they gave to Andy in his final days.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Andy’s name be made to the Pancreatic Action Network. (https://secure.pancan.org/site/Donation2?df_id=1520&1520.donation=form1)