Obituary of Andrew O'Day Halferty

Andrew O'Day Halferty, 38, died on September 4, 2018 after a long fought battle against cancer. He leaves behind his beloved wife Emily, his parents Rick and Brenda Halferty, his sister Ashley Halferty, his grandparents J. and Dorothy Sample all of Tucson; grandmother Ora Halferty and uncle Owen Halferty and aunt Jane Halferty as well as his cousins Justin and Evan and their families, all of the Dallas, Texas area. He is also survived by his very supportive in-laws, Emily's parents, Richard and Amanda Conklin, along with her sisters Cynthia Conklin, Sonya Leverton, Mandi Conklin, Jennifer Conklin, and brothers Richie Conklin,Travis Conklin and Kevin Conklin. Andrew was a Tucson native who graduated from Palo Verde High School, where he was affectionately known as Elmo by his friends. Everyone who met him appreciated his wit and his delightful sense of humor. Andrew was one of those people who always seemed to have a funny quip to make as he observed life going on around him, and his laugh will be remembered as being so infectious. He also had and exhibited a very natural kindness toward others, both human and animal. Andrew was a totally non-judgmental person and accepted everyone, despite their color, religion, age, sex, sexual identity, or economic status, as an equal. Nearly everyone became his friend upon meeting him. He loved cats and fostered many, many of his feline friends over the past years. He and Emily found homes for most of these foster kitties but would occasionally lack the heart to give one away so their home was filled with kittens and cats at all times. He also loved all things Celtic, even celebrating his wedding to Emily in 2014 in a kilt. His favorite holiday was St. Patrick's Day — even more beloved than Christmas!! Andrew felt akin to everything about Ireland. Andrew was always very interested in art, taking many classes as a child and producing many beautiful paintings. He visited many art museums during his life, starting at a very young age. As a precocious 5-year-old he once explained to his mother, who expressed to him her lack of understanding of a particular abstract piece, his interpretation of what that painting was all about!! Until his trials with cancer began nearly three years ago, some people probably did not realize the depth of Andrew's inner strength and resolve. During his illness he showed that courage and spirit over and over again, through many ups and downs. A memorial service will be held on September 30, 2018 at 5 pm at Catalina United Methodist Church located at 2700 E. Speedway Blvd. in Tucson with a reception to follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, his family has requested that contributions be made to the Pima Animal Care Center (PACC), 4000 N. Silverbell Road, Tucson, AZ 85745.