Jorie's story

“To be able to use this money to see people have opportunities to eat well, to be exposed to cooking and food, to be inspired by it and enjoy it like he did—that’s all Andrew would want. It would be a really amazing legacy.”

What Andrew loved most about cooking was how it brought people together. 

Whether it was grilling the perfect steak at his parents’ house, teaching his siblings how to make mushroom soup at the cottage, or hosting an event with chefs from all over the city, for this Toronto chef, food was a way to connect with family and community. 

“A lot of our happiest memories with Andrew were in the kitchen—chatting and singing and dancing and cooking,” shares his younger sister, Jorie. 

“But he didn’t want to just cook. He wanted to share, and make it really fun,” she adds. “And the way that he connected to all of us was through his cooking; sharing his knowledge with us and teaching us.” 

And everyone agrees that his favourite sous-chefs were the kids in his life. 

“He was amazing with kids. I remember him taking his niece Addie to his favourite ramen restaurant when she was three,” recalls his older sister, Ange. “He explained all the different broth and noodle types to her, the pros and cons of adding an egg, and very patiently taught her how to eat with chopsticks.” 

As a teen, Andrew was glued to the Food Network, picking up tips from his favourite chefs. And throughout his career, he enjoyed experimenting with different recipes and techniques—from pickling and smoking to spending months perfecting his own hot sauce. 

Beyond his passion for food, it was important to Andrew to support people in his life who were going through a tough time. 

“Ever since he was little, Andrew cared so much about other people. That was just a part of who he was,” says his mother, Kim. “And like anything in life, when you've been through adversity, it helps you become sensitized to other people who are experiencing difficulties. And so he helped a number of people through difficult times because he saw that and he was sensitive to that.” 

When Andrew passed away in 2019, his family wanted to honour his community-centred values by donating to a charity in his memory. 

The family’s generous gifts in memory of Andrew will bring more people together at Community Food Centres to grow, cook, share, and advocate for good food for everyone.  

As Andrew’s mother Kim expresses: “To be able to use this money to see people have opportunities to eat well, to be exposed to cooking and food, to be inspired by it and enjoy it like he did—that’s all Andrew would want. It would be a really amazing legacy.”