Andrew M. Sheldon, a loving husband, proud father, and energetic grandfather, passed away on June 23, 2017 at his home in Old Town Alexandria, VA, surrounded by his family.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Linda; his daughter Casey Seidenberg, her husband, Nick, and their children, Henry, Teddy and Pippa; and his son, Christopher Sheldon, his wife, Eileen, and their children, Buchanan and Talbot. He is loved and missed by so many.
Andy had a peaceful and patient nature, a desire to constantly learn and grow, and a genuine love for family. He was deeply moved and inspired by the golden mean—symmetry, proportion, and harmony—and these principles shaped both his creative work and his life.
Born in 1944 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Andy grew up in Buffalo, NY and Princeton, NJ, where he ultimately met his wife, Linda, and raised his family with much joy. He began his own architecture business, Andrew M. Sheldon Architect, in 1975, and was passionate about designing beautiful spaces for his clients, including houses from Mexico to Nantucket and many places in between. He also founded Sheldon Designs in 1975, providing
economical, easy-to-build blueprints for small houses, farmhouses, and cabins, becoming an early contributor to the “tiny house” trend.
Andy received his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from Rice University in 1966 and 1967, respectively, and also
studied architecture at Pratt University. Andy served in the Army from 1968 to 1970, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. He worked for both small and large architecture firms in Princeton before starting his own firm.
Andy received the Historical Society of Princeton’s Historic Preservation Award in both 2003 and 2004, and his architecture has been featured in many publications including The Washington Post. Andy also served on the Princeton YMCA Board of Directors from 1986 to 1994, and on the Princeton Site Plan Review Advisory Board from 1990 to 1995.
Andy enjoyed being near the water, taking his grandchildren to sports practices and out for burgers, playing tennis, building fly rods, and writing.
There will be a service to celebrate Andy’s life in Washington, DC on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at The Little Sanctuary, St. Albans School, 2pm.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The River School Center for Innovation, an initiative to rethink how language and literacy is taught to kids with hearing loss. Select “Support River School” at www.riverschool.net and indicate in memory of Andrew Sheldon, or text “Andrew Sheldon” to 41444.