Andrea Marie Burish
Andrea Marie Burish, 40, Woodland Hills, Calif., and formerly of Cadott, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in her home in California.
Andrea attended St. Joseph Catholic School and graduated from Cadott High School in 2001. After graduation, she attended college at UW-Eau Claire, where she had the opportunity to study abroad in Ireland.
Upon returning to the states, she moved to Minneapolis, Minn., and later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to further her education at Vancouver Film School, where she obtained a degree in makeup design for film and television, with an emphasis in special effects makeup. She moved to Los Angeles, Calif., in 2008, to pursue her dreams of working in the film and television industry.
Andrea started her own company, Alchemy Makeup, Inc., and had a successful career, working with top industry experts on countless films, commercials, documentaries, educational videos and TV shows. Most recently, she earned a certification in phlebotomy and had aspirations to work with the Red Cross, in disaster relief.
Outside of her career, Andrea was active with the nonprofit organization, CAAT Friends, where she bottle-fed neonatal kittens back to health and fostered them, until they were adopted into loving families. Her work with the cat rescue saved numerous lives and she was a beloved volunteer.
Growing up, Andrea had a love of nature and animals, and had a variety of pets on the family farm. She adored her dogs, Tex and Penny, her parakeet, Cheech, and her cat, Lucifer, among all the other animals she brought into her home.
A precocious child, Andrea was never shy to make her beliefs known and became a vegetarian at the age of eight, and she remained dedicated to the ethical treatment of animals throughout her life.
Throughout grade school, Andrea was recognized for her artistic abilities and carried that gift into both her hobbies, and, ultimately, her career. One of her favorite pastimes was sculpting clay miniatures.
Andrea also loved travel and music. Her adventures, all set to perfectly curated playlists, have taken her around the world, from her beloved Ireland to England, Germany, Thailand, Peru, Columbia and Mexico, to name a few. In true Andrea fashion, she made friends wherever she went and we’ve received an outpouring of condolences, from around the world.
She was proud of her family and her Midwest upbringing in Wisconsin, and was a diehard Green Bay Packers fan. No matter where she lived, she rarely missed a Packers football game during football season, and got many of her friends in California, to root for the Packers, as well.
Andrea was an amazing person, with a beautiful soul. She was smart, kind and generous. She loved deeply and she would do anything for the people she loved. She was a trusted confidant, gave great advice and always had time to listen to others.
She was funny and had a great sense of humor; her smile and laugh lit up a room. She made every single person she met feel special. She will be greatly missed.
Andrea’s parting words were: “I love you all. Spread love. Be helpers.”
She is survived by her father and mother – Pat and Kim (Ankney) Burish; brothers – Scott (Stephanie) Burish, Cornell, and Brett (Michelle) Burish, Cadott; nephews – Brennen, Connor and Leon; nieces – Isabel and Lydia; many aunts; uncles; cousins; and her very special friends – Amanda (Burish) Ternes, Minneapolis, Minn., Elizabeth (Spillman) Pearce, St. Paul, Minn., and Meaghan (McCarthy) Faught, Woodland Hills, Calif.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents – Doran and Anita Ankney, and Robert and Phyllis Burish; uncle – Richard Burish; and aunts – Juanita Ankney, Tammy (Burish) Franz and Patricia Burish.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Andrea’s name, to CAAT Friends, at caatfriends.org, or Venmo and Zelle caatfriends@gmail.com. Checks can be made payable to “CAAT Friends” and mailed to: 149 S. Barrington Ave., #181, Los Angeles, CA 90049.
Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, with a memorial service at noon, at Leiser Funeral Home in Cadott, with Pastor Greg Sima officiating. A celebration of life will be held at Halfway Hall in Cadott, following the service.
