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Rochester, NY: January 19, 2026
Andrew Van Atta Kieffer passed away peacefully on January 19, 2026 at the age of 71.
Andrew (Andy) was born on October 23, 1954 and was the third child of his now deceased parents, James and Eleanor Kieffer.
Andy is survived by his brother and sisters, Michael (Cheryl) Kieffer, Laura (John) Cufari, and Elizabeth (Brian) Sullivan, and by many nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed by all.
Andy graduated from Pittsford Sutherland High School and Ithaca College. A testament to his likeableness and popularity, he was voted president of his eighth grade class.
In high school, Andy was quite the athlete, as both a star half back in football and as an excellent tennis player.
Above all, Andy was an artist, having painted many oil and acrylic paintings and many sketches of people he came in contact with during his travels.
Three times Andy ventured to Nepal and lived among the people there. The first time was during his college years when he traveled there with his then wife, Donna, to study Tibetan art.
After the death of his parents, Andy went to Nepal two more times and stayed there for quite a while. During his last visit he was quarantined by Covid restrictions, living with Tibetan families and gaining a deep knowledge of the Tibetan people and their culture.
Andy was kind and compassionate and he attempted to help people poorer than himself anytime he could. He was also smart and witty and tried to follow the best of Buddhist teachings throughout his life.
Funeral Service will be held Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at White Haven Memorial Park, Creations Chapel, 210 Marsh Road, Pittsford, NY. For those that cannot attend, the service will also be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/@ExtonMediaServices/featured. Interment will immediately follow.
Obituary published in the Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, NY, January 23, 2026.
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Kirk Brown
Wow thats a blow, Andy was great a guy and real good friend when we were younger, I remember having him at my house visiting, my mother asked Andy what his favorit subjects were in school thinking he would give her the sme answer like Baseball, skiing or tennis something like that and instead he says math and science in which my mother responded saying thats not what Kirk would have said and she never let me forget that.
Last time I saw Andy wasnt sure if he remembered me but he kept looking at me saying with his eyes, I do remember you.
I'm pleased he had a full life and visited exotic places. I'm sure he brought as much joy to those people he visited as he did with us. Youll be sorely missed Andy. Rest in peace my friend.
Mary George (Markell)
With a class as large as ours, it was hard to get to know everyone. But there are some people you always remember. Andy was a great athlete and we loved cheering for him at the football games. He had a great sense of humor and was well liked. I'm hoping he found great happiness and peace in his travels. What we did not know was that Andy was a very good artist; heard his mandalas were especially beautiful. Andy, you will be missed.