Andrea Smiley Higgins Age 65, of Wellesley MA, died on April 3, 2018. Craftsman, linguist, lawyer, and animal lover, Andrea believed passionately that life should be fair, although in the end it was anything but fair to her.
She leaves behind her devoted husband Keith, her mother Lois P. Smiley, her sons Jeffrey and Michael, her nephew Aiden, and her cousins and friends who supported her throughout her struggle. Andrea died almost five years after her sister Laura, whom Andrea lovingly cared for during her own battle with cancer.
Andrea was accomplished in everything she tried, from mathematics to language to music. A graduate of Radcliffe College and Harvard Law School, Andrea delighted in the expression of what is right, whether or it not it was popular. After curating exhibitions of Ukiyo-e prints at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts in the 1970s, she spent five years in Kyoto, Japan, where she created beautiful pottery and developed a lifelong love of Japanese culture. In the 1990s, she practiced estate planning law at Mintz Levin in Boston, then returned to the world of crafts, designing home décor items from Indonesian batik fabrics.
In place of a funeral, friends and family will hold a memorial service in early June to celebrate Andrea’s life, art, intelligence, and convictions. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the MetroWest Humane Society or Stray Pets in Need of Massachusetts. Itsu made mo wasurenai yo. We will never forget you.