The Monadnock region community is coming together to support the family of Francestown resident and business owner Andrew Grant, who died in a tragic accident last week.
A GoFundMe page organized by family friend Ashley Whitcomb has already raised $25,000 for the funeral and other expenses.
“We are so grateful for the support. We just wish Andy was here to witness the outpouring of love, because it has just been unbelievable. If Andy had only known what he had meant to everyone. It’s a blessing and a curse, because it’s amazing to hear it all, but I wish he could be here to hear it. I know everything everyone is saying is all true, but to hear it on that scale—it’s just incredible. I feel like even I underappreciated how incredibly special he was,” said Grant’s wife, Andrea Grant.
Andrew Grant, who was the founder and owner of Grant’s Tree Service and a beloved father and grandfather, died on July 16 when he was struck by a vehicle that rolled unexpectedly backward as he and his crew were loading equipment following the completion of their day’s work in New Boston.
The New Boston Police Department was unable to comment on the incident, as it is still under investigation.
Grant leaves his wife, Andrea; his son, Shane; and a beloved 3-year-old grandson, Nathan, along with a large network of extended family and friends.
“The community support has just been amazing. We only wish that Andy could see how many people cared about him, how many people he touched. If only he knew just how many people thought he was awesome,” said John Grant, Andrew Grant’s cousin and business partner. “He was just such a great guy, and everyone loved him.”
According to John Grant, the work-related incident that took Andrew Grant’s life was “like a freak accident.”
“The accident had nothing to do with the work that was being done at the site; it was not related to the tree work in any way,” John Grant said. “The irony was, it was another job well done, and it was a safe job. It’s a dangerous business, and Andrew always gave a thumbs up and ‘all good’ at the end of the day, and that job had gone great. This was an equipment loading accident. The truck didn’t have enough traction, and slipped down the hill, and he could not get out of the way.”
John Grant said the loss is “unimaginable” for the family.
“I lost a best friend, a boss, a cousin, and my buddy,” John Grant said. “Andrea lost her husband, her best friend, and her business partner. It’s just so hard to comprehend.”
John Grant said he and Andrew had worked together at Grant’s Tree Service for about nine years.
“He was a really special guy. If there was ever a definition of nice guy in the dictionary, his picture would be there,” John Grant said. “He just had the biggest heart in the world.”
John Grant said he was always amazed by how patient Andrew was with his staff, especially new workers.
“He was just a positive thinker. He saw the best in everybody. Even if we had employees who were a little off task, who needed a little help, he was so patient with them,” John Grant said. “One time he had a brand new woodchipper, which was a $100,000 machine, and something happened with the chipper that caused $10,000 to $15,000 worth of damage. It was a new employee, and if it had been my chipper, I would have just blown up, but that wasn’t Andy. He just said, ‘These things happen, we’ll just get it fixed.’ That’s what he was like with everything. He was amazing.”
On social media, colleagues in the tree service industry praised Grant for his kindness and generosity.
“Despite being competitors, he preferred to collaborate: sharing his methods, lending his equipment, and teaming up on jobs. On several occasions we were down a chipper or a truck and without hesitation Andy would offer up one of his,” wrote Greg Potter of Potter Tree Care.
John Grant said colleagues from the tree service industry have already offered to help.
“Other people in the business are stepping up and helping us finish the jobs we had scheduled until we can get some new staff,” Grant said. “That’s how people felt about Andy. Both he and Andrea were just so positive in everything in life.”
Andrew Grant, who grew up in West Peterborough, and Andrea Grant, who grew up in Francestown, started Grant’s Tree Service almost 16 years ago. The couple purchased the former Kennebec Lumber sawmill property in Greenfield in 2025, where they stored their own equipment and operated an outdoor storage business. Andrea, who runs all the administrative functions for Grant’s Tree Service, also founded the Red Barn yoga studio on the site.
“A lot of people questioned us when we started the business, like how could we work together and be together constantly? But we could — we could work together all day and still want to spend our evenings and weekends together,” Andrea Grant said. “I always knew Andy was the love of my life, and what we had was very rare.”
Ashley Whitcomb said the loss is particularly devastating, as the Grants were business partners as well as life partners.
“We are also fellow husband-and-wife small business owners in Francestown, and we understand the dynamic and devastation Andrea is going through. When you work side by side with your spouse, it goes way beyond husband and wife. Your spirits are intertwined,” Whitcomb said.
Andrea Grant said she plans to keep the business going.
“We’re all just trying to find the strength to continue on with his legacy. We are going to try to continue his dream and take on whatever roles we need to collectively to make it happen. We just have to all put on our ‘Andy’ hats and try to fill in his shoes,” Andrea Grant said.
Whitcomb states on the GoFundMe page that Grant did not have life insurance, and as the owner of his business, workers’ compensation will not cover any expenses.
“This unexpected loss has placed a significant financial burden on his wife Andrea and their family, who now face the costs of funeral arrangements and daily living expenses without Andrew’s support. During this difficult time, Andrea and her family need the community’s help to ease some of these burdens and allow them the space to grieve,” Whitcomb wrote.
The GoFundMe for Andrew Grant can be found at gofundme.com/f/support-for-andrea-grant-family.
