With great sadness to report that Andrea has passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday February 17 of Bile cancer. Andrea battled every day never gave up but the cancer was too much. She was surrounded by her family. Andrea really enjoyed your card and letters and flowers. She was loved and will be missed by us and her many friends and fans and the Breyer Model Horse community. Thank you for all the love and prayers and support you sent her way. Andrea's legacy will live on forever .Take care. The Gurdon Family.
About Me
- ANDREA
- Model Horse Hobbyist and Purveyor of Odd Notions since 1978. Proprietor of the original Morning Glory Ranch, publisher of the notorious MGR Sampler, and all-around hobby history gadfly. Ask me questions - that's what I'm here for!
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This blog is not in any way affiliated with Reeves International, any incarnation of Breyer Animal Creations, the Supreme Court or the frozen dairy industry. I do not endorse any other Breyer reference book or web site unless otherwise mentioned in my posts. I do all my own research using primary sources whenever possible.
69 comments:
I am so very sorry to hear about this great loss!
My heart is beyond shattered right now. Andrea has been such an important part of my life over the years…she is irreplaceable…my mind is in complete shock…please…please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or Lea Robinson…all we want is to do right by Andrea’s wishes…my heart is with your family…she is leaving an massive empty void in my heart. Life will not be normal without her.
I am so sorry for your loss, and such a loss to our community.
Absolutely heartbroken. I sent a text to Andrea’s phone yesterday (Monday) hoping to get an update. This wasn’t the news I was wanting to hear. So shocking how quickly this happened. Such a great loss for her family, for myself & her other friends & for the hobby as a whole. Nothing will ever be the same. The world is dimmer & more empty without her shining presence.
So sad, this is a great loss. Andrea was a one of a kind.
I am so, so incredibly sorry. She was an incredible keeper of our hobby history and full of creativity. The world is a little less bright with her gone. My condolences to everyone who loved her.
So very saddened by this.We are very sorry. Our condolences to her family. Many thanks to the Great History Diva, Andrea, you will be missed! Sincerely, Noel and shannon
I'm so sorry for your loss. I never met her, but I've been reading her blog for years and the hobby has suffered a great loss.
I am so sorry for your loss, and as well for the loss to all of us who were touched by Andrea’s words and her work. Bless you for updating us here. May peace and comfort come to you.
Andrea will be dearly missed and fondly remembered. Not only was she full of knowledge and a great writer, but she was truly generous with sharing information. More than once I emailed to ask about an unusual model I'd come across (I own Triple Mountain), and she was always able to shed some light on it, no matter how strange a piece it was.
Sending love and sympathy to her family. I hope you can find some comfort in how much joy she brought to collectors around the world with her blog and conversations.
I am so sorry.
"Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die."
- Mary Elizabeth Frye
Andrea was an icon in the hobby. She had an incredible depth of knowledge about Breyer history and she generously shared it with us through her blog and in person. I was grateful for all the times she set up educational displays in the Hobby Info Booth at BreyerFest . I loved her passion and dedication to the hobby. I will miss her and send my condolences to her family.
I am beyond saddened to hear this news.. is certainly not the outcome we were all hoping for. I can't believe I'm not going to be seeing Andrea in a few short months, coming to check on what crazy idea she has come up with for a contest, possibly volunteering with her as a breyerfest ambassador, or many of the other things that we have done together over the years as hobby Buddies. Can't wrap my mind around this either... the hobby has definitely and truly lost a one-of-a-kind that's for sure. But-- also true...her Legacy will live within the hobby forever. Please reach out if there's anything I can do to help and I am sending lots of love and prayers to the Gurdon family as they deal with her loss. Godspeed, Andrea.🙏🌈
We are all richer for knowing Andrea, and for her bringing some humor to our hobby.
Hope you're in a place surrounded with all the amazing test run Old Timers you could ever want, Andrea.
I am so very sorry to hear this. Thank you for letting us know. She meant so very much to so many. Janie Bradshaw
My heart breaks for you, her family. I know so many model horse collectors the world over are grieving today. As am I. I am so so sorry.
I had no idea. This is quite a shock. Her knowledge was a shining star, a firm rock to rest against. She was always ready to answer a question. So much has suddenly vanished, and so young too! I will always remember her quirky smile and hopeful demeanor.
SBY
So so sorry for the loss of Andrea. Did learn from her blog. Met her a few times in the rooms at the Clarion, but unfortunately didn't really get to know her.This is truly a sad and shocking time. Sending love and prayers to her family, close friends and to all in the horse hobby community. She will be irreplaceable.
Thank you, family, for letting us know. I am deeply sorry for your loss.
I'm so very sorry to hear this; the hobby has indeed suffered a great loss. She had so much incredible knowledge about so many things. Her family will be in my thoughts.
I am so sorry to hear this. :( Prayers and hugs for everyone.
I am so very sorry to hear this 😔 I never met Andrea but I've enjoyed her blog for nearly 10 years now. May she rest in peace.
Oh I'm so sorry. I was a regular reader here and really enjoyed it. Best wishes to her family.
I am heartbroken. Although I never met her in person, she was always happy to answer questions about the hobby and her blog was always informative and interesting, and I really looked forward to reading it and enjoyed it. Thank you for letting us know. She will be missed terribly by so many…
Very sad to hear of Andrea's passing. I checked her blog on the daily and she had wonderful insight in the hobby that she truly loved with all her soul. She will be greatly missed and the Breyer community will never be the same.
My Condolences to the Gurdon Family. Andrea had such a vast knowledge of Breyer and I’m so, so happy she chose to share that knowledge through her Breyer History Diva blog and sit downs with her during many BreyerFests. There will be a huge hole of her presence during this years’ BreyerFest, however I can tell you, we will gather and reminisce our Andrea stories of Breyer ephemera, Andrea chats and Andrea sharing come July. Thank you Andrea for sharing your knowledge of model horses and encouraging us all to be a community…
My sincere condolences to the family and friends of Andrea.
Andrea's blog opened up a whole new world for me as a collector. I had found a kindred spirit who was 'in-the-know' about everything I was interested in about Breyer models. Her gift of writing about her experiences and (mis)adventures were something I looked forward to every week. After finding out that we lived in the same state, I dreamed of meeting her one day. That dream came true, as I've had the honor of meeting her a handful of times. She was always so gracious in answering questions and sharing her knowledge. Breyerfest isn't going to feel the same without her.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
The world has lost a friend and the heavens gained a star.
Shine on, Andrea. We'll miss you. <3
I've been reading this blog since I was just getting started and entering the hobby. I've learned almost everything I know about Breyer history from The Breyer History Diva. It has been such a staple in my life, and Andrea such a staple in the hobby.
I always looked forward to new posts, and I am so grateful for the amount of time and care Andrea put into it - and it shows. This blog is a massive wealth of information, and what a legacy to leave.
The hobby will not be the same without you, but we are forever grateful.
So sad this goodbye has arrived. Andrea was a shining light in the hobby with so much knowledge she loved to share and quirky sense of humor that was so enjoyable. Reading her blog was a staple for me. I am grateful I was able to spend some time with her in person too. I will always remember her smiling so big at Breyerfest live 2023 when she won a sectional glossy prize model with her lovely chalky dapple gray Hanoverian. Condolences to her family, friends and all those in hobby she touched.
Thank you for the update, although it was not what we all were hoping for. Andrea will be sorely missed. BreyerFest won’t be the same without a Morning Glory Sampler, and bedtime internet browsing won’t be the same without checking Breyer History Diva for a new post.
I am so, so sadden by this news and my heart goes out to her family and friends. Like many others, I only knew her through her blog and her kindness in answering my questions about Breyers over the years. She has left a large hole in the model horse community and an even larger one in the hearts of everyone she touched.
I am so very sorry to hear this. Andrea was a force in our hobby, and I adore her MGR Samplers! Her knowledge and humor will not soon be forgotten. Enjoyed shopping her room sale and discussing Breyer oddities at BF. My condolences to her family.
I only very recently found Andrea's blog as I'm new to the model horse hobby, but I was immediately drawn in by her passion and wonderful writing. Incredibly saddedned to hear of her passing, and sending my love to everyone whose life she touched with her obvious joy and passion.
My condolences to her friends and family. RIP Andrea.
Deepest sympathy to her family. Andrea was a foundation in this hobby and will be sorely missed by all.
I’m pretty young, new to the hobby and what it has to offer. I never met Andrea, but I fell in love with her blog. I loved hearing about her collection, and hearing her thoughts on any Breyer news. Not to mention her witty humor and Detroit lions jabs. This past year she has unknowingly helped me grow within the amazing hobby, and I’m devastated to hear about her loss. I can only hope she is pain free, reunited with others who have passed.
I am so sad to hear of Andrea's passing. I checked her blog every morning and enjoyed her blog very much. She was a sweetheart in the hobby. Always ready to answer any questions. I was fortunate to meet her at Breyerfest several times through the years. It is hard to lose a old timer in the hobby. She was a wealth of knowledge that will surely be missed. My thoughts and prayers to her family.
Sincerely, Penny Sanford
(Old time collector since 1966)
Thank you Andrea's family, for posting this. And please accept my condolences for your loss, Andrea will be very much missed. It won't be the same without her blog and Breyerfest Sampler. I learned so much over the years from those, and will miss her witty writing. We lost a shining star and the heavens gained one. Godspeed Andrea!
Deepest sympathy to her family. She will be greatly missed by our community.
Lucy Kusluch
So sorry for your loss. I enjoyed reading her blog and learning more about Breyer history. I also bought a few high end models from her over the years. One is the glossy vintage club balking mule. That model will be treasured forever!
I am so sorry for your loss. While I never got to meet Andrea, I read her blog religiously and found much humor and a wealth of knowledge in it. She will be sorely missed in the horse model community.
Oh Andrea I'm so sorry. I just can't believe she's gone. I have always admired Andrea's sense of humor, depth of knowledge and her absolute, unwavering integrity. She will be greatly missed by so many.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I am grateful I was able to visit with Andrea and meet you, her family. Andrea's blog has been one of my go-to hobby reads, especially when I rejoined the community seven years ago. There was so much to learn! I will miss her presence and her perspective.
I am so sorry to learn this. Andrea fought this so bravely. I do feel like I've lost a friend I've never met. I only knew her through her blog and emails. She created this place where we could share our fascination with this hobby- and so much more!
I lost my husband around this time, three years ago, to osteosarcoma. And so that phrase is in my mind "oh no, not again!" After such an ordeal, the end brings peace. In one of her later posts, she seemed to lament not being "spiritual." But I don't think it is possible to love Star Wars if you don't feel part of a spirituality, that life does not truly end, it only changes.
Please keep this blog alive! There is so much here that she dedicated her time to share
My heart and soul go out to Andrea's loved ones, but I am also glad she no longer has to endure such debilitating pain here. I don't think I can come up with any new words others haven't already used, but know I considered her my oldest hobby friend & some of my most treasured memories come from seeing/hearing her passion & delight in all her ventures. May her memory be a blessing to every single one of us.
I am so sorry for your loss. She will be deeply missed.
Thank you for caring for Andrea! And it is good to see so many kind comments here.
I met Andrea so many years ago. We were pen pals back when and I learned so much from her. She is the reason that I started collecting all the old magazines and everything “model horse.” I looked forward to seeing her every year at Breyerfest. She was one of the greatest assets to the hobby and will be missed. I still have all my Morning Glory Samplers and her Buried Treasures book. Rest in Peace, Andrea.
We will miss you Andrea....my heart is absolutely shattered, rest in peace and I hope you and Marney are having fun with plastic ponies in Heaven 😭😭😭💙💙💙
I'm so very, very sad to hear this. I've read Andrea's blog for years and even met her in person on several occasions (and told her that she was my idol!). We've lost someone who simply cannot be replaced. My condolences to the Gurdon family.
I am so, so sorry for your loss. I was looking forward to meeting Andrea at Breyerfest this year and I've read her blog for years. This is going to leave a huge hole in the hobby. It's just not going to be the same without her here...
I’m so sorry for your loss. I never knew her personally but have been reading her blog for over a year now and learned so much! She was full of knowledge and good humor. She will never be forgotten
I was lucky enough to call her a friend and Larry and I will miss chatting with her. She was definitely a Diva and she is already missed. I never thought our last email exchange would be our last. ❤️🧡 Ellen
I'm so sorry for your loss. Andrea was such a font of knowledge, and she will be greatly missed.
Andrea was OOAK!
I am so sad for the Gurdon family. I really enjoyed Andrea’s blog for many years, and I hope that the family will leave it up so that others can learn all the cool things that she wanted to teach us. Thank you, Andrea. Yours is a loss that will be keenly felt by a great many friends on the internet.
“Whatever can die is beautiful — more beautiful than a unicorn, who lives forever, and who is the most beautiful creature in the world. Do you understand me?”
- Peter S. Beagle, from The Last Unicorn
I'm so sorry. Andrea was a treasure & the loss to the hobby is immeasurable. No one knew the minutiae of Breyer like she did
This is so sad and shocking. I am so sorry for your loss. Most people I know think my model horse collection is just weird (I'm obviously keeping the wrong company...), and her blog, meticulous history keeping, and dry humor at the highs and lows of collecting always made me feel my hobby was valid and interesting. If I were ever able to make it to Breyerfest in person, she was the person I wanted to meet the most. She will be so missed.
My heart has joined a thousand for my friend stopped running today.
I feel so empty typing this. At a loss. A thousand different things in my head but my fingers don't know what to type. I followed this blog years ago (missed the last few months). Im devastated. Sad I could not meet in person the last Bfest I went to. I may have moved on from OFs but I never moved on from the history loving side of the hobby. I will greatly miss you Andrea, even if I did not know you personally.
Silverfang Studios
I'm so sorry to see this. I discovered her blog 2 or 3 years ago and have enjoyed reading it. She seemed like such a lovely person. My condolences to her family and her many, many friends.
So shocked and saddened by this loss. I will treasure the many years I knew her. Will keep my samplers close to my heart from the very first issue to last.
I am devastated in hearing this news of Andrea's passing and I am so very sorry for her family. She was such a staple in the model horse community and I picked her brain more than a couple times over the years and followed her blog without fail. I never was blessed to meet her in person, though I apparently passed by her several times at Breyerfest in 2023 and didn't know it. She is irreplaceable and will never be forgotten.
My deepest condolences to her friends and family during this tough time. She will be greatly missed. Fly high Andrea, we will miss you terribly.
I worked with Andrea 6 mos at her place of employment. She was funny, bright, and hardworking. I never heard of Breyer until she told me. She was very passionate about it and her collection. I am so sorry to hear her passing. I will never forget her.
(Thank you Kaivala- Watership Down.) Andrea will be terribly missed by all.
BreyerFest was not the same without Andrea. Though room 312 at the Clarion was busy during room sales it felt empty without her presence. Many came in to express their grief at her loss & their gratitude for her contributions to the hobby. The memorial bench for Andrea was in place at the Kentucky Horse Park just inside of the gate that serves as the entrance to BreyerFest. It sits just past the wooden bridge under a shade tree & the plaque on it reads:
Andrea M. Gurdon
Breyer History Diva
Forever First In Line
It is a lovely & fitting tribute. So many of her fellow hobbyists sought it out, took photos of it & shared them on social media, some sat upon it & all shed a few tears. If you are ever at the Kentucky Horse Park please stop to see it.
Just received an email about the new Traditional mold (Rowan) and instinctively came here for Andrea's commentary.... :(
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