Liesl Andrea Georgi 

Liesl Andrea Georgi was born on April 12, 1944 to Carl Georgi and Marjorie Womelsdorf Georgi in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was the second of three children – her older sister Carol contracted severe meningitis in her youth and lived most of her brief life in an institution, while her younger brother Todd was a biologist who passed in 2023. While she was raised mostly in Nebraska, her parents instilled a love of travel, resulting in her spending several years in various European countries, including France, Germany and Denmark. As a result, Andrea became fluent in French, Danish and German. Her love of languages also led her to study Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi and Czech.

After her graduation from Lincoln High, she attended Middlebury College in Vermont. She later returned to Lincoln for her BA in French (with an anthropology minor) from the University of Nebraska (UNL), where she graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors. She went on to earn an MA in French literature from UNL as well.

Andrea married another language lover, Ben Vrana, whom she met during her studies. They had two children, Paul (1966) and Jane (1974). Andrea and Ben divorced in the late 1970s, and she subsequently worked in computer programming, systems analysis, and sales. Her diverse array of careers and desire to be near her children led her to Florida, Wisconsin, New Jersey, California, and Illinois.

Andrea had a life-long passion for animals – a “naughty” horse she had as a girl led her first to dog obedience training, which she later judged. Her entry into conformation dog fancy led her to breeding and showing Rottweilers and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. She ultimately became an AKC judge of 25 breeds, including the entire herding group. Chronic illness led her to a gradual transition to the cat fancy where she bred and showed the Russian Blue and Burmese breeds for nearly four decades.

She especially loved enriching children, whether human, canine, or feline. She loved art, comedies, mystery novels, and cultures of all kinds.

Despite her struggles with chronic physical illness, Andrea lived her life on her own terms. She passed away suddenly on January 4th and is mourned by her children, her grandchildren, her friends, and the staff at Brown’s animal hospital.

A memorial service will be held Saturday 1/18/25, 3:30pm at Faith Tabernacle church in Peoria (3331 N Finnell Ave, Peoria, IL 61604).