Andra Mccluskey

At the young age of 64, Andra Len Payne McCluskey left this world while surrounded by her family. Andra battled dysautonomia for many years and her body was tired. Andra is survived by:

- Her husband, Gordon ("Mac") Fred McCluskey
- Her only child, Dawn Marlee McCluskey, and son-in-law, Darin Justus Harris
- Her 2 grand-daughters:
o Ellison ("Ellie") Marlee Harris
o Alexa Marlee Harris
- Her sister, Shila Rae Payne Spice

Andra grew up in Joplin, Missouri with her 2 younger sisters, Shila and Amy. At the age of 15, she and her family moved to southern California after her father passed away.

Andra's childhood was filled with music: she had a gift and a passion for playing! She would choose to play the piano over playing at the playground. Every note filled her soul. In high school, Andra joined the marching band, playing the flute and glockenspiel. Continuing her love of music, she joined the Orange County Junior Symphony Orchestra--she was the only female bassist at the time.

High school activities also drew Andra into roller skating. She competed in roller dance for many years. Her skating talents took her to the California State Regionals for dance skating and she was awarded a gold medal by the dance skating association. At the Skate Ranch in Santa Ana, California, where she practiced, she met her husband, Mac. The Skate Ranch held many wonderful memories for Andra, including meeting her long-time friends, Margie and Terry Mitchell.

After completing high school, Andra entered the field of law, where she would remain throughout her career. As with everything that Andra did, she excelled in this field to her fullest potential. To advance herself, she took night classes at universities after a long day of work and taking care of the family. She soon became a paralegal, and later began her own business, Imperial Legal Assistants.

As technology became more advanced and computers entered the workplace, Andra developed a new passion--for computer technology. Soon, she found herself intrigued by the inner workings of a computer. Andra began taking classes to better understand the new technology and to translate that information over to the law office. Later in her paralegal career, Andra became the systems administrator for a law office in Newport Beach, CA.

Outside of work, Andra enjoyed downhill skiing, but nothing compared to the delight she found in bowling. Not only did Andra participate in the sport of bowling, but she became a certified lane inspector and bowling instructor as well. Andra's bowling experiences took her around the country to participate in tournaments; her home is filled with bowling trophies and honors. Her proudest moments were the three perfect (300) games that she bowled.

Andra's career in the law office ended early due to the development of dysautonomia. Unbeknownst to anyone, this disease was slowly eating away at her nervous system. The condition interfered with her ability to think clearly and perform her daily duties, not to mention her ability to move around. For those of you who knew Andra, you know how devastating this was for her. Being the fighter that she always was, she continued to make the best of her situation, never complaining.

The last 2 years of Andra's life were spent in Madison, Wisconsin so that she could be near her daughter's family. She was able to watch her granddaughters grow up, which meant the world to her. After moving to Madison, Andra and Mac joined a senior bowling league. She volunteered at her granddaughters' school to become more involved in their lives. Andra also found her musical passion again after having left it for so many years to be a wife and a mother. She began taking piano lessons each week--it was as if the 40+ years that she had been away from it never happened. She started up right where she left off.

Andra's last few days were filled with great joy for her... spending time with her husband, daughter, and granddaughters, playing piano, and bowling. These were what mattered to her.

Andra will be missed dearly by all who knew and loved her, but none as much as her loving and dedicated husband of nearly 45 years.

Memorial services for Andra are planned for Sunday, October 23rd. Family and friends will be notified of the details. In lieu of gifts, the family has requested that donations be sent to the National Dysautonomia Research Foundation:

- Online donations: www.ndrf.org , click on Donate! Please fill out the Dedication portion of the form so the family can thank you for your contributions.
- Mail-in donations: P.O. Box 301, Red Wing, MN 55066