Obituary of Andrew J. Mesquit

Andrew “Andy” Mesquit was born in 1943 to Arthur and Gladys Mesquit and passed away at age 77. Andy grew up in Santa Maria with his sisters Ardys, Janice, Rosella, Sandie and brothers Bruce and Pat. The seven Mesquit children were well known in the neighborhood around Miller Street and at St Mary’s Catholic School and Church. He served as class president at Santa Maria Joint Union High School (’61) then earned his associates degree at Allan Hancock Junior College in Santa Maria while playing football under coach John Madden. After Allan Hancock, Andy trained in Puerto Rico and Quebec for the Peace Corps before serving in the U.S. Army for three years at Karlsruhe, Germany. He returned to the states and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo in 1969. Andy landed his first job as a Human Resources manager at Spreckels Sugar and was thrilled to get to work in San Francisco’s financial district for five years. His daily commute took him across the Golden Gate Bridge, and he loved to walk that bridge the rest of his life. During his Human Resources career, he worked at Boise Cascade Corporation for sixteen years across Washington, Oregon and Ontario. Amongst other roles, he finished his career with a Director of Human Resources position at a California health group and fourteen years as an HR consultant. He relished helping people develop the skills to transition to their next job and accordingly held positions within the Society for Human Resource Management. In 1965, he met Shirley and they wed in 1967. They had two children, Brent and Christine. They divorced in 1991. Andy married Donna a year later and they were married for nine years. Andy was a passionate woodworker and handyman and could often be found crafting wood projects. These projects ranged from shadow boxes and garage shelving to a two-story playhouse complete with bay window, Dutch door, shingled roof, and electricity. Camping, hiking, and traveling were some of his great loves, especially trips to Europe and the Caribbean. He stood on top of Mt Shasta and almost summited Mt. Rainier before a knee injury forced him to be evacuated. He will be remembered for being hardworking with a friendly nature and fun sense of humor. Andy had a long track record of working to bring people together and helped form homeowners’ and neighborhood associations in multiple locations. He believed in building strong communities and in the importance of neighbors looking out for each other. This was foundational to the deep and abiding love he held for his country. Anyone who knew Andy knew that he was a great friend, brother, father, and grandfather. Andy is survived by sisters Rosella, Janice, and Sandie; brother Pat; son, Brent and his wife Lisa, and daughter Christine and her husband Steve; grandchildren Luke, William, Camille, Ana and Kyle; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Andy was preceded in death by his parents Arthur and Gladys, sister Ardys, and brother Bruce. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in Andy’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association (act.alz.org/donate) or Wounded Warrior Project (support.woundedwarriorproject.org).