Andrea Claudine Forster

In Loving Memory of

Andrea Claudine Forster

Feb. 1, 1969 – April 8, 2025

Born in Albany, Oregon, Andrea “Andy” Forster lived a bold and spirited life filled with laughter, compassion, and adventure. She graduated from South Albany High School in 1987 as a proud Rebel, where she played varsity basketball and softball, and built many lifelong friendships.

From an early age, Andy was active and full of energy. A member of the Albany Boys and Girls Club, she played soccer, basketball, and softball throughout her youth. Her love of the outdoors carried into adulthood—she found joy in camping, swimming, boating, and fishing, and peace walking along the ocean, beachcombing, and in the beauty of nature.

Andy had an adventurous heart and an undeniable zest for life. She loved music—especially the Grateful Dead—and traveled to see her favorite bands in concert, chasing the joyful moments. Her spirit was magnetic, her laughter infectious, and her kindness effortless. Andy’s smile lit the room.

Her career path was as dynamic as she was. Andy began working for UPS in Corvallis, then moved to Portland, Oregon, where she thrived as a bartender and hostess in various clubs and restaurants. In 2003, she made the brave move across the country to Siler City, North Carolina, to be closer to her mother. There, she continued bartending before joining the United States Postal Service as a rural mail carrier—a role she took great pride in. She cherished her colleagues, the customers on her route, and especially their pets.

Andy’s love for animals was profound. She supported local animal rescues and was a rescuer herself—known for taking in a stray dog, she’d nurse them to health, and ensure they found loving homes. Her home was filled with the pets she adored–they were her children.

Andy was a radiant soul—kind, loyal, and deeply loved. She had an infectious charm, and her beauty shone from the inside out. People were drawn to her warmth and her open heart. She was a comforting presence, always willing to help or console those around her, no matter what they were going through.

She is survived by her father, Jerry Forster of Albany, Oregon; her mother, Linda Forster of Siler City, North Carolina; her sister Cindy and brother-in-law Rob Orahood of Keizer, Oregon; her niece Kristen and husband Tyler Beyer of Salem, Oregon; her beloved goddaughter Harley Dority of Siler City, North Carolina; and many more relatives and dear friends across the country. Andy was preceded in death by her sister, Daphne Forster.

Andrea touched countless lives with her compassion, energy, and love. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her and will remain forever in our hearts.

A celebration of life will be at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home, Siler City, NC, on August 16, at 1:00 PM. Then, a memorial at the Liberty Tavern, Liberty, NC, at 5:00 PM, where refreshments will be served.

For Andy, Who Walked the Shore

She walked where the ocean kisses the land, Grains of sand-like stories slipped through her hand. With laughter as free as the wind on the tide, And kindness too vast for the world to hide.

She loved with a heart both gentle and wide, Taking in strays, the world left aside. A rebel, a dreamer, bold in her ways, She lived for the moment and brightened our days.

Music and moonlight, stars in her hair, She found sacred joy just breathing the air. A soul stitched with sunlight, wild and true— The kind you remember when skies turn blue.

Now the waves still whisper her name at the shore, And the breeze brings her laughter, forevermore. Though her footsteps have faded from this earth and sand, She walks beside us, hand in hand.

In loving memory of Andrea “Andy” Forster Forever cherished, forever free.

"She Is Gone" by David Harkins

You can shed tears that she is gone, 
Or you can smile because she has lived...