Andrew J. Shepardson

Andrew John Shepardson passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack on April 6, 2026. He was born at Tompkins Community Hospital in Ithaca, New York, on October 21, 1986. Andy was raised and went to school in Moravia, New York. He graduated from Moravia Central School in 2005 and relocated to Auburn, New York, where he lived the remainder of his life.

Andy had a love and talent for the arts, starting with drawing at a young age. His love and talent for art led to recognition and an award for his artwork. However, Andy’s purest love in the arts was music, namely drumming. He received drumming lessons at a young age, and he instantly took to them. While Andy’s natural talent and hard work to perfect his craft led to drumming in two bands as an adult, his love of music and willingness to challenge himself led him to learn other instruments as well. Andy made many friends through his drumming.

Andy worked a variety of jobs before finding the perfect fit for him at D&W Diesel. He took pride in his work and was respected, appreciated, and given the opportunity to flourish at D&W Diesel. Furthermore, Andy greatly enjoyed the people he worked most closely with, and people from other departments would stop by just to see him, which speaks to his magnetic personality.

Andy always had an interest in learning and growing, and that was most evident recently, as he’d begun diving into new projects at home, learning new skills. He wasn’t afraid of a challenge, and he was willing to put in the work to teach himself.

Andy, dating back to his childhood, was a caring, compassionate, non-judgmental person who befriended everyone. He was hilarious, with razor-sharp wit. Andy had an unmatched ability to make people smile and laugh.

It’s impossible to put into words what a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable person Andy was in his far too short 39 years on this planet. He was authentic and true to himself and what he believed in. Moreover, Andy recognized and appreciated those qualities in others, never judging a book by its cover. Everyone who encountered Andy was better for it, especially his friends, family, and loved ones.

Andy is survived by the love of his life, Lacey, and her two children, whom he loved and treated as his own, Kenzie and Liam; his loving parents, June Shepardson and Al Shepardson (Deb); his older brother, Josh Shepardson; his maternal grandmother, Judith Schmidt; as well as several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Andy was preceded by his maternal grandfather, William Schmidt, and his paternal grandfather, Albert Shepardson. Andy will forever be remembered and missed by all of his friends, family, and loved ones.

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date, where Andy’s friends, family, and loved ones can share stories of his remarkable life. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Andy’s memory may be made to CNY Cat Coalition. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Andrew J. Shepardson, please visit our floral store.