If you were looking for the best mom, or the best wife, or the best sister, or the best math teacher, or just looking for an adventuresome friend for discussing a good book, hiking a trail, or sailing the high seas, I've got sad news: you just missed her. Andrea Lieberman Shannin was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Isadore and Isabelle Lieberman. She was a firebrand who was never in sync with the period she was born into, preferring to play with her big brother Carl's Tinkertoys instead of her dolls, preferring math to matchmaking, and reading anything she could get her hands on. Despite being a lefty who had to fight the smudging of figures while she scribbled her equations, Andrea was not deterred and ultimately earned her master's degree in mathematics from Illinois Institute of Technology.

Andrea's geographical horizons suddenly expanded well beyond Chicago when she met a good-looking young man named Jack Shannin. Jack and Andrea crossed the sea to get married in Tunisia and lived in Rome while Jack worked as an urban planner, a thoroughly modern couple in the Eternal City.

The couple, armed with a knowledge of Italian cooking and a love of wine that would never end, returned to the States, but not to her home state of Illinois, nor to his stomping grounds in Massachusetts. Andrea had endured one too many Chicago winters growing up, so when it was time to settle down, she told Jack he could take a job anywhere, so long as it was warm. Thus, Atlanta picked up a talented urban planner, and the Shannin Family got its start, with sons Nick and Peter born in the capital of the Peachtree State. A move to South Georgia was next, where those two sons were joined by a third son, Philip. Then came the big move, when a small rural town in Florida named Kissimmee suddenly expanded because Walt Disney had decided to move right next door. The family of five picked up and relocated to Kissimmee, where the three sons thrived, Jack was the Osceola County Planner, and Andrea returned to the world of math, teaching math and gifted classes to literally thousands of middle school, high school, and community college students.

After their sons grew up, Jack and Andrea did what empty nesters do and fled to the beach. They found a new home in a quaint condo in Cocoa Beach, where they enjoyed the surf and the sun, not to mention the nearby cruise ship port of Port Canaveral. Wanderlust never left them, with Andrea and Jack logging several dozen cruises and over 70 countries visited. Andrea also enjoyed her time with friends in Cocoa Beach, including several equally sharp ladies who took turns leading the brigade of brainy women at the local American Association of University Women (AAUW) chapter.

Even with all the new friends, Andrea always kept close ties with her family. Andrea finally gained some daughters when Nick married Carol and Peter married Jenny. That, in turn, changed Andrea's name from "Mom" to "Grandma," when Jake, then Anna, then Jack, and then Aaron came along to bring the total number of Shannins to eleven, a unique prime number that started with one Andrea and one Jack. Andrea loved visits from her children and grandchildren, who equally loved going to Grandma and Grandpa's beach place. Andrea and Jack's condo home also remained a beacon for Tom and Alison, for Louis and Diane, for Nancy, and especially her older brother, Carl, who brought Chicago to Florida as often as he could, and who corresponded with her daily.

Andrea was sharp to the end, always working crossword puzzles in pen, left-handed of course, while her right hand was being held by Jack, her beloved husband of 60 wonderful years. A service celebrating Andrea's life will be held May 30, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Island Cremations & Funeral Home, 405 S. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, Florida 32952. In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to Shore Community Services, the Celiac Disease Foundation, or the AAUW Florida Supporting Foundation (links below).

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Celiac Disease Foundation: https://celiac.org/

AAUW Florida Supporting Foundation: https://aauw-fl.aauw.net/supporting-foundation/