Kass, Andrew John was born on January 16th, 1970 in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the tenth and youngest child of Raymond & Carol (Bergeron) Kass. His mother vocally disapproved of Andrew's choice to delay his entrance until the 16th day of a new year, but in doing so he made her a maternal legend: Carol had babies in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s! Anyone with two or more children will understand why there aren't a lot of pictures of young Andrew. However, in those rare photos it is obvious that he was loved by his siblings: Mike Kass (Ann), Tom Kass (Jean), Debbie Rapacz (Walt), Steve Kass (Mary), Jeanne Armstrong (Tom), Shari Thompson (Don), Pat Kass (Patty), Greg Kass, and Laura Kass. As a child, Andrew unwillingly worked in the large family garden. He played Dungeons and Dragons, met the cast and crew of Field of Dreams, and aced the math section of the SAT. He studied aerospace engineering at the University of Southern California, where he befriended a young Vince Vaughn. He later transferred to the University of Iowa where he earned a bachelor's degree in English.

Andrew met his wife, Annie Bosacker, on the internet long before that was socially acceptable. She taught him to love life and dogs, and together they traveled the world. Andrew and Annie had four beloved and delightfully weird children: Liam, Charlotte, Maura, and Alden Bosacker-Kass. Andrew loved them so much that he became a reluctant competition dance and swim dad, and indulged their deep passion for animals. He loved dad jokes of all sorts, but he specialized in puns. He preferred to pick things up off the ground with his feet rather than his handsa skill he passed on to his children. He set an excellent example of strength and grace by conquering his lifelong fear of spiders after a meaningful conversation with a dear Australian friend. (They have the best spiders over there!) No summary of Andrew would be complete without mentioning his prolific farting skills. They were, in his own words, "an acquired taste."

Andrew was the proud uncle to countless nieces and nephews, whom he counseled to be good people even when that was not easy. Although he frequently frustrated his late father-in-law, Del Bosacker, by failing to take proper care of his fishing rod, their deep love for each other was one of Andrew's greatest treasures. Also in the treasures category-his mother-in-law Pat Bosacker's goulash. Andrew enjoyed bowling and beer-drinking with his siblings-in-law: Peter and Linda Bosacker, and Julie and Troy Polan. However, he just couldn't get into NASCAR. Andrew's work colleagues appreciated his quick wit, honesty, and integrity. He loved history, genealogy, and writing long and detailed novels. (The novel-like length of this obituary honors his spirit!)

While it's probably clear to you, dear reader, that Andrew lived a rich and colorful life, he longed to be "normal." This overwhelming and insidious desire was fueled by a lifelong struggle with depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder. On September 14th, 2021, Andrew died as a direct result of his long and hard-fought battle with what our family affectionately referred to as "his brain situation." Every loss is unique and devastating, and suicide in particular is a tough reality to try to cope with. We hope that by sharing Andrew's story openly and honestly, we can normalize conversations about mental health just a little bit. More importantly, it was Andrew's wish that we tell his story. We look forward to a day when our society treats all who suffer with respect and compassion. We want everyone who reads this to know that there are accessible mental health resources available for those who are hurting, and we want you to find them. The number to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 800-273-8255. You matter to us, and we celebrate you.

Our family will be hosting an outdoor memorial gathering on Sunday, October 10th at Roseville's Central Park Athletic Complex from noon-2pm. We ask that all guests be prepared to wear masks. In lieu of flowers, which we'd just feed to our goats, donations can be made to NAMI-Minnesota or to an educational fund to support Andrew's four school-aged children.

Published on October 6, 2021