Andrew Shada Obituary

Andrew Shada, age 22, died tragically on July 25, 2015 after being hit by a drunk driver on the lawn of his home in Colorado Springs. He was loved by his family and all he came in contact with; Andrew knew this earth was not his home and his loved ones look forward to the day they see him again in his new home – heaven.

Andrew Thomas Shada was born on January 4, 1993 in Santa Rosa, California to Jeffrey L. and Carolyn R. (Hebrew) Shada. He was a 2011 graduate of The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs where he excelled in varsity football, academics, and was voted homecoming king his senior year. He was a member of Boy Scouts and completed the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 71 in 2008. After a semester at Pikes Peak Community College, he decided school wasn't the right path for him. Regardless, Andrew had a voracious appetite for gaining knowledge, either through reading or personal connection. Andrew adamantly sought to better himself, starting early each morning.

After working from an early age in his family's business, he got his first outside job at 15 working for Chick-fil-a, which gave him a love of the food service industry. He worked at several other restaurants before joining the team at Hacienda Colorado when they opened in 2014 and was excited to have also recently started working at Whole Foods. Andrew had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to experience many different work environments to gain the knowledge that would one day help him start his own business, as evidenced by his also working at both of his roommate's businesses at Chapel Hills Mall – Gyros Plus and Springs Bistro.

Andrew had recently been attending Discovery Church. Over the last year or two he had significantly grown in his relationship and love of the Lord and rededicated his life to Christ. His goal was to reach people and change lives. He was planning on going on a mission trip to Guatemala next spring to build a school with the Hug it Forward foundation. They have now decided to dedicate the school to Andrew, in his honor.

Andrew continuously sought to have a positive effect on the world. He was a dreamer and envisioned great things for his future. Though his mind was on lofty goals he would never miss even the smallest opportunity to have an impact on someone's life. His joy was contagious, and he could always bring a smile to your face. Andrew never met a stranger, inviting all into his circle of friends whether it be for a moment or a lifetime. He was full of life, energy and laughter. He was one of the driving forces behind the Free Hugs Group, focused on giving strangers a hug to lift their mood. Andrew was an adventurous spirit, which led him to become a member of the world wide traveling club, World Ventures. He always said that you should never hold back and wait to really live your life, but instead ought to live each day to the fullest – and that is what he did. He took every opportunity to travel and loved to experience new cultures, try new things and get the most out of each destination he was able to visit. He also enjoyed weight training and was an active member of Gold's Gym.

He is survived by his mother: Carolyn Shada of Colorado Springs; his father: Jeff Shada of Cheyenne, Wyoming; his three sisters: Erica (Will) Hensel of Basin, Wyoming; Nicole (Ben) Fisk of Black Forest, Colorado; and Christine Shada of Colorado Springs; and his brother: Austin Shada also of Colorado Springs. He also is survived by his paternal grandparents: Marge and Paul Shada of Black Forest, Colorado and maternal grandparents Nancy and Merrill Hebrew of Santa Rosa, California. He has one nephew, two nieces and numerous cousins, uncles and aunts.

A Life Celebration will be held at 1:00PM, Saturday, August 8, 2015 at Discovery Church Colorado, 4304 Austin Bluffs Parkway.

Contributions may be made to the Andrew Shada Foundation, in care of Forbush Goldberg PLLC, 902 S. Weber St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903, ATTN.: Doug Goldberg.