At the age of 94, Andy made his final climb, passing peacefully with family at his bedside.

Predeceased by wife, Veronica “Vreni“, siblings Thomas, Pete, Alfred, Veronika “Vroni” and
Maya. Survived by daughter, Monica (Bob), grandson Derry (Caroline). Also survived by
family in Switzerland, among them, his brother Hans, sister Juliana and many nieces and
nephews and by extended family in Kamloops, B.C., Leonie, Frank, Fred , Michelle, Simon,
James and their families.

Growing up in the Toggenburg region of the Swiss Alps as the eldest son in a family of eight
children, he lived a life rich with experience and often shared stories and spoke fondly of his
parents and siblings. He spoke of how in his mid-teens, during the war while his father was
away, he was given the responsibility to live alone in the hut, high up in the Alp pastures to
tend to the herd and work the family’s dairy farm.

In 1954 Andy and his brother Pete left Switzerland together for a big adventure, inspired by
stories and pictures shown to them by American soldiers they had met in Zurich. They opted
for Canada and initially spent time working together on a ranch in Clinton, B.C. Later, Andy
would settle down in Vancouver to work for the Vancouver Plumbing Company while his
brother moved on to Kamloops, both eventually bringing their brides to Canada.

Having a propensity for the trades, Andy was first trained in Switzerland as a roofer, then a
tinsmith/sheet metal worker, the trade with which he entered Canada. His jobsite experience
early on in Canada drew him to the plumbing trade and he then trained as a
plumber/pipefitter. He had a strong work ethic and went on to become a partner of H.S.
Crombie Ltd., mechanical contractors, running large projects such as UBC Hospital, Triumf,
Burnaby Hospital, Molson’s Brewery and other out of town B.C. Hospitals. He was a proud
long standing member of Local 170.

Throughout his life, he was never idle and was admired by many for his athleticism. As a
young man he cycled through Europe, and continued cycling into his late 80s. From hiking to
ski mountaineering, he explored many of the coastal BC mountains, and taught himself to
snowboard at the age of 69. He ran in the Vancouver Sun Run into his early 80’s,
consistently ranking high in his age group. In his 90’s he continued frequent long walks with
friends and family.

He and Vreni had the privilege of making many lifelong friends through the Swiss Society of
Vancouver and the Swiss Outdoors Club. With these friends, they skied, hiked, camped,
travelled, and celebrated, in the Lower Mainland, Kootenays and often at the club’s cabin at
Mt. Baker. He loved to help, be it leading hikes, or helping build the club’s Baker cabin.

Family was of utmost importance to Andy and when Vreni was in her final years, he
dedicated his time fully to caring for her at home. He maintained contact with his cherished
brothers and sisters in Switzerland by travelling there often, and when not visiting in person,
they would have many long distance chats on the phone, glass of wine in hand.

Andy and Vreni bought their house in Kitsilano in 1962, which he essentially rebuilt from top
to bottom. He spent many hours working in the garden and his most recent, much loved
project, were the banana trees. In his later years, he took every opportunity possible to sit
on the front porch in the sun. He was able to live comfortably at home up until the end.

It was through Andy’s unwavering direction, bold curiosity and his belief in the endless
pursuit of knowledge, that he developed competency in many facets of his life. He lived with
a robust, ageless attitude and steadfast values. He was always generous and eagerly
shared what he had with others.

His family will remember him fondly for the wisdom he imparted, his inspiring love of nature
and the outdoors, for teaching us how to ski and climb, and for the many trips together along
the Sea to Sky Highway.

The family would like to thank the care team of Ward LB7A at VGH for going above and
beyond and showing they really care and making Andy and the family feel at home during
his final days.

Memorial Photo Album: Andreas Huser Album