Andrew J. Frechette

​Andrew Joseph Frechette, age 55, of Beaver Dam, WI passed away on June 30th, 2023. Andy was born in Fridley, MN on May 19th, 1968. He grew up in Plymouth, MN and graduated from Wayzata High School and Hennepin Technical College with a degree in metallurgy.

​His greatest joy was music. He was always performing, not only in pubs and at local festivals, but also in church, teaching guitar lessons, and attending live music events. Although his primary instrument was guitar, he was truly a diverse musician and even set up his own recording studio in his basement where he wrote, sang, played multiple instruments, and recorded his own music and the music of others. 

​He also greatly enjoyed fishing, spending time at his cabin in northern Wisconsin, experimenting with food, and watching sporting events, especially baseball, football, and more recently, rugby.

​Andy was very intelligent and a true do-it-yourselfer. There was nothing he couldn’t fix. If at first he didn’t know how, he would figure it out as he went. He instilled this mindset in both of his daughters at a young age by teaching them how to find the answers instead of telling them the answer. When they asked what a word meant, he would always respond by bringing them a dictionary and saying “Look it up and find out!”

​Helping other people brought him great satisfaction and he did so whenever possible. He would always gladly go out of his way to help his family, friends, and sometimes even strangers.

​He was an extremely loving and dedicated father that was always there for his daughters when they needed him. In fact,most of his final week was spent on a road trip with his youngest daughter, helping her move from Minnesota to New York so that she could pursue a graduate degree. He always made sure they knew he believed in them and that they could do anything they put their minds to.

​Although he lived over 300 miles from his grandchildren he still traveled to see them frequently. Not just for birthdays, holidays, and special events, but also frequently just to visit or play with them at the waterpark. Sometimes even just to see them get on the bus for the first day of school. When he would visit he would play with them in the yard, take them on walks to the park, and play games like Yahtzee. When his granddaughter tried to convince Andy to get Roblox, he would usually just say “How about I watch you.” Then he’d sit snuggled on the couch with her while she played and listened to her explain all of the games to him.

​Andy is survived by daughters Rebecca Calvin and Cameo Frechette; grandchildren Caiden and Lexi Calvin; parents Andrew E. and Bonnie; brother Daniel (Rachel); nieces and nephew Grace, Noah, and Isabel; special friend Kathy Burns and her family; other relatives and friends.

​Funeral will be held on Saturday, July 8th at Rettinger Funeral Home, 425 Lake St, Long Lake, MN 55356. Visitation will be 2:00-3:00pm with a service beginning at 3pm. A celebration of life will also be held in Beaver Dam, WI at a later date.

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