Monday, April 27, 2026

Monday, April 27, 2026

Today’s post is from Sandy Gervais, a former classmate of Cindy’s and long-time family friend.

Andy Snarski was a man who wore many hats. In fact, it makes me smile just thinking about it.

Ventures: A stand out memory, was after he left Mosiac. He and Cindy got together with some friends who had an organic farm, and Andy decided that would be his next adventure. Of course, he jumped in with both feet, tractor, rusty pickup and all! After some initial doubts, Cindy supported his decision because he told her he “always wanted to be a farmer.” He kept at it for a number of years before concluding it was time to retire from farming, I think Cindy was relieved because he wasn’t dragging dirt and dirty laundry in the house anymore, and maybe now they could travel. And truth be told, I know she worried every day that something might happen to him while operating and repairing his old farm machinery. But he loved every minute of it

Politics: Andy also had a keen interest in politics. He thought long and hard about running for a seat on the McHenry County Board before choosing to run. He didn’t win the election but I admire him for campaigning and his willingness to get involved in local government. Nevertheless, he was the guy I would go to if I needed an explanation for anything political.

Good Will: I remember the time he would get up at 3:00-4:00 in the morning to pick up elderly folks needing a ride to a dialysis appointment. He loved volunteering, and his riders loved Andy as he became a friend to many of them.

Service: Andy loved preparing people’s taxes during tax season. It was a long day, but he felt fulfilled. When he was diagnosed with ALS, he continued to give it his all until he just couldn’t physically do it anymore. Again, Andy was so likeable that some taxpayers requested he specifically prepare their returns.

Writer and Reader: Andy’s amazing gift for writing was unknown, I think, until he was diagnosed with ALS. We all enjoyed reading his daily blog post as it revealed his story-telling ability and it kept us informed of how he was doing. During his illness, Andy collected many new friends and became cherished friends to old acquaintances. Reading his blog was like reading a good book. This sort of goes hand in hand with his love of reading books as he was a frequent patron of the public library and then a recipient from his secret book sender. Reading and writing was a great temporary escape from his health worries.

Family: Andy loved his family more than anything. They were Number 1! And they were absolutely the hardest thing for Andy to let go of at the end. There is a multitude of friends and family who will miss this good man for a long while.

Sandy Gervais