Obituary

Andrew Verner Jackson, Best Dad and Spouse in All the World, Dies at 53

Born and raised in England by parents unfamiliar with American presidential history, Andrew Jackson was a rebellious, Harley-Davidson riding youth, who grew up in County Devon, surrounded by a loving, blended family and life-long friends. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Plymouth, and launched a career with British IT company Amulet Hotkey Ltd.

In 2001, Andrew arrived in New York City to establish the company’s US presence. It was there that he met the love of his life, Elizabeth Nystrom, whom he married 15 years ago in a fairy tale wedding in Moretonhampstead, UK with all parents, siblings and many dear friends and relatives in attendance.

Andrew and Elizabeth were raising three children in Montclair, New Jersey, while Andrew worked as President of Amulet Hotkey in Manhattan. Their daughters – Lillian (13), Abigail (11), and Josephine (6) - were his pride and joy. He was equally adoring of his sunfish sailboat.

Andrew was an incredibly present and attentive dad. He led his family on endless adventures, including camping trips, foreign escapades, and skiing and snowboarding excursions. At home, the family enjoyed grand English breakfasts, spending time in their yard with neighborhood friends, and chatting in bed as a family for hours on weekend mornings.

Andrew thoroughly spoiled the girls when Elizabeth was away, such as when he and the girls all put on their “rich guy outfits” to rent a Mustang from the airport one weekend. He set up backyard Olympics, complete with cornhole, basketball, and ping pong. The prizes were a ten-dollar bill, a TV in your room for a week, and a turn driving the Mustang.

Andrew was universally beloved, with friends spanning several continents. The outpouring of love and grief following the news of his sudden passing while on a business trip to London on September 28th is a testament to his unique gift for fully engaging with every single person he met. He loved scores of people, and they loved him back.

Andrew was brilliant, innovative, and creative. He put his engineering talents to use with madcap and occasionally useful domestic inventions such as a homemade, solar-powered generator that he hooked up to a microwave in order to make popcorn on a recent camping trip. Everyone was amazed when it worked, even though only a few kernels popped.

Andrew had a brilliant sense of humor, and he was a wonderful storyteller, peppering his tales with daft British slang. But he was always a gentleman, too, and quietly supportive, especially in difficult circumstances.

He showered love on his wife and three girls with abandon, as if he knew they would need a stockpile to last lifetimes. Elizabeth compares their marriage to a rich, decadent dessert, delightedly savored but consumed too soon.

In addition to his wife and daughters, Andrew is survived by his parents, Sandra and Adrian White of Newton Abbot, UK and William and Victoria Jackson of Lustleigh, UK; sister and brother-in-law Ingrid and Roger Stanley of Kirkham, UK; brother and sister-in-law Alex and Ruth White of Broadwoodkelley, UK; brother and sister-in-law Oliver and Anna White of Bovey Tracy, UK, and countless friends and other relatives.

His loss is profound. But more importantly, Andrew’s enthusiasm for life was an extraordinary and infectious gift that will long live on in all who knew him.