With a deeply resonant voice and a life-size from-the-Bronx persona, Andy Valrosa told an interviewer for his book release that his life of blessings has been a journey of self-discovery. “Don’t live in the past,” he said. “It’s a learning experience, not a life sentence… You will see your blessings in your life because, if you look for them, they are there.”
Andy published My Life Full of Blessings in 2023 to share his own journey, and to inspire others to recognize the gifts in their lives.
Indeed, with a life of adventure, a loving marriage to Grace, a long career as a Boeing engineer, and a home he built himself on Whidbey Island, his life has had many blessings. Blessings he has been able to pay forward as a longtime donor to many charitable causes, including the Fulcrum Foundation.
A flier in his parish led him to Fulcrum, where he decided to support Fulcrum’s Tuition Assistance Grant Program (TAP). He was treated to a tour of a school and came away impressed with the environment of supportive faith-based learning–especially excellence in science and math, two of his favorite subjects.
Andy acknowledges that he also faced many hardships. His time in Vietnam as a young Naval sailor brought him to the Fall of Saigon, the final battle to end the Vietnam War in 1975. During the war, exposure to Agent Orange left him with debilitating neuropathy, diabetes and a host of other conditions. Andy has received disability support from the Navy for his exposure and other disabling conditions. He thought about what to do with this money and decided he didn’t need lifestyle changes; he needed to do more for others.
Today, Catholic school students benefit from the generosity of Andy Valrosa’s life of many blessings and, in a clear way, from his hardship.
His heart for others can get him choked up. A bin of napkins on the dining room table comes in handy for a conversation around his life. A quick dab of a white paper napkin across his face, a sniffle, and he’ll touch his chest to let the deep emotions pass before he moves on to complete a thought.
“I get emotional,” he said. Sometimes it’s about his faith and how it has carried him through and provided strength, “especially during the hard times.” Sometimes he chokes up thinking about his fellow military mates who have not fared as well or succumbed to cancer from Agent Orange exposure. And sometimes it’s about the students he feels blessed to, in turn, bless.
His mother was a single Italian-American woman, working three jobs, raising her kids in the Bronx. And he’s certain support was provided for the tuition for his sister’s and his own Catholic education.
“I think it’s important, once again with all these blessings in my life, to give back,” he said. “It can be time, treasure, or talent. I do what I can. My faith obviously plays a big role in it.”
Fulcrum is most grateful to Andy for his service to our country and his generous heart supporting Catholic education.
As we approach Veteran’s Day, we take a moment to honor and remember the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces. Their dedication and sacrifice protect the freedoms we cherish and uphold the values we strive to teach in our schools.
To the many military families in our Catholic schools throughout Western Washington, we are honored to support your education journey, and we thank you for your example that guides us in fostering a spirit of service within our own communities.
God bless our veterans!
Andy and Grace Valrosa