Obituary of Andrea Ness Huber, 79
Andrea Ness Huber.
Andrea Ness Huber Nov. 22, 1946 – Feb. 26, 2026
– A loving mother, wife, sister, and grandmother, Andrea was a fabulous cook and set a beautiful table. She loved to poke around interesting retailers to find a perfect gift and had a weakness for marshmallows. Andrea Huber, 79, of Waconia, MN died at home on February 26, 2026.
She was born in Brockton, MA on November 22, 1946 to Marjorie Violet Lundfelt Ness and Frank Willard Ness, Jr. who instilled in her a love of learning, dedication to a chosen path, and a knack for making a flaky pie crust. She studied Government at Boston University before entering the workforce at Ma Bell.
Andrea first met her future husband, Charles Benson Huber while working a summer job at the Procter & Gamble plant in Quincy, MA. He worked in the hydrolyzer section making Tide detergent, and she packed Safeguard soap. A relationship that might have seemed too squeaky clean to last long developed into a loving and committed building of family, friendships, and shared goals. They were married on January 20, 1970. Together they lived numerous locations across New England, California, and Minnesota. Notably, they developed a mutual interest in wine and wine making in Menlo Park, CA, raised children in Santa Barbara, CA, and embarked on their empty nest phase of life in Edina, MN until Charles’ passing in 2004.
Andrea and Charles had two children: Melissa Huber and Charles Brian Huber. Deeply involved in their children’s lives, Andrea could be found creating Halloween costumes and coaching youth soccer leagues in equal measure. The family was dedicated to the Santa Barbara Sea Shell Association and Santa Barbara C-13 Association, which taught both kids and parents the art of sailboat racing. Additionally, they cheered their children through countless volleyball, basketball, and football games throughout Southern California.
Andrea settled in Waconia, MN just in time to welcome her grandson, Benny born to son Brian and daughter-in-law, Kristin, in July 2020. Benny and Grammie enjoyed baking and art projects and shared a special affinity for stuffed animals, the softer the better!
While the children were young, the Huber family had dogs, Mariah and Bear, but upon moving out to WestSide Ranch in Paso Robles, three ranch kitties claimed Andrea as their person. All three moved with her from Paso to Waconia, somewhat astonishingly (for kitties of a certain age!) making seamless transitions from being farm to lap kitties both giving and receiving comfort and snuggles with their champion, Andrea. Tigger, Tar Heel, and Terry kept her warm, kept her entertained, and occasionally kept her up by pouncing on her feet while in bed.
Andrea had friends all over the US whom she met throughout her life from work friends at Raytheon, the parents of her children’s friends, to professors at Santa Barbara City College, to colleagues in the vineyard industry and friends and neighbors everywhere she lived.
Having started her working life at Ma Bell, Andrea explored numerous roles throughout her life, each time onboarding new learning and mastering new environments. In Santa Barbara, after taking UCSB Extension courses in COBOL programming (notably while her then toddler son, Brian, played with the computer punch cards while sitting on her lap) and then worked as a programmer at Raytheon. She began a long-term engagement with continued education first at Santa Barbara City College and then at University of San Francisco and University of Minnesota. In 2005 she became the Director of WestSide Ranch of Paso Robles, a vineyard of 60 planted acres producing Bordeaux and Rhone grape varietals that eventually found their way into wines produced by Justin, Tobin James, Chateau Margene and others from the central coast of CA.
Andrea will always be remembered for her stick-to-it-ive-nes and her willingness to absorb new knowledge. She loved to feed a crowd, to read all sorts of books, fiction, non-fiction, and to champion her children. She was proud of her family, both those who came before and those who continue on. She loved to plan: a purchase, a renovation, a vacation and when the planning was done, she completed her plans with style. We will keep her memory alive in our hearts, minds, and tastebuds, especially each time we sample an exceptionally flaky pie crust.
Andrea was preceded in death by Frank and Marjorie Ness (parents) and Charles Huber (husband), and is survived by her sister Pamela Crowley, her children Melissa and Brian, daughter-in-law Kristin, and grandson Benny.
For those inclined, in lieu of flowers, consider making a donation in Andrea’s name; she was a longtime supporter of Prospect Musicals in New York City and was a great lover of PBS –most recently devouring the numerous detective stories set in the various countries of the Alps – and would encourage your support of your local station.
Further details about Andrea and information on a Celebration of Life may be found at Johnson Funeral Home (www.johnsonfh.com/obituary/andrea-huber) in Waconia, MN.
From Legacy.com.
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