Andrea Mary (Torgersen) Groves of Bloomington, Minnesota, joined her beloved husband David in eternal life on February 8, 2020. She passed away under the light of the full Snow Moon, having just received the Catholic sacrament of Last Rites and with her daughter Lisa by her side.
She is survived by children Laura Abdel-Razaq, Lisa Groves (daughter Madeline Mary), David Groves II and Christopher Groves (son Chance, daughters Cadence and Sage). She was preceded in death by husband David, parents Mary and Henry, sisters Josephine, Arlene and EmCele, and beloved dog Emily.
Andrea took great pride in being a nurse and spent three decades of her life caring for patients. She specialized in psychiatry, working long hours day and night to provide a good life for her family. She was generous to a fault, shopping at thrift stores for her own needs so that she could make holidays and birthdays truly epic for her children.
Loving but sovereign, she would have made an excellent nun. As a young woman, Andrea begged her parents for permission to join the convent. Although they refused, her Catholic faith would remain the beating heart of her entire existence. She raised all of her children in faith, spending countless hours and resources to ensure we had a clear path to the eternal love of God.
Andrea married David in the 1960’s and they quickly set out on a grand adventure, traveling Route 66 cross-country and falling madly in love with the desert of Arizona. Andrea was enthralled with all of its rocks and flora, but most especially saguaros. They eventually lived in Arizona for several years, where Andrea ran trails, hiked to mountaintops, explored caves, hunted for quartz and amethyst, rode horses through canyons and drank in the natural beauty all around her.
She was incredibly multidimensional. Andrea rode on a Harley, made her own rosaries, cheered at racecars, was a glass blower and jewelry artist, went to amusement parks and Las Vegas every chance she got, all while quietly making crafts, tending her gardens, and lighting candles at Mass for all of the things she still hoped for.
Above all else, Andrea was an extraordinary grandmother. From the moment she was born, Andrea’s first grandchild, Madeline, became the center of her universe and forever remained there. For 22 years, Madeline’s ‘Nana’ was a constant presence in her life. Just weeks before she died, Andrea was reminiscing about their earliest years together. She sat up straight and firmly declared, “I would have died for that baby”. There is no doubt that she would have. She taught Madeline how to say her prayers, find strength from within, and the beauty of absolution.
Her life was a tapestry of valiant efforts woven together with good intentions. When her children were in grade school, Andrea brought home a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest. She taught us how to feed it with an eyedropper, sing it lullabies, and eventually how to gently release it. We release you into God’s arms now, Mama, and into the arms of our father who has been waiting to hold you.
***In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Nativity of Mary Catholic Church, 9900 Lyndale Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55420, in honor of David & Andrea Groves.