ASRM member and infertility counseling pioneer Andrea S. Boxer, PhD, passed away at her home on April 20 at the age of 86. Born in Philadelphia on January 6, 1939, her father, Harry, was a medical doctor, and she considered practicing medicine, too. But she found that her interest was drawn more to mindfulness and relationships.

Dr. Boxer earned her master’s degree in social work in 1965 and her doctorate in 1976 at Bryn Mawr. She joined Penn in 1982 and worked in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Boxer was an advocate for families. She spent 43 years as a clinical social worker, giving voice to the nuances that affect couples who deal with infertility. She was a member of the ASRM Mental Health Professional Group, and her research on the perception of infertility and treatment stress in females as compared with males was published in Fertility and Sterility in 1992. She later worked with clients referred from Main Line Fertility and other private groups before retiring in February 2025.

Dr. Boxer was adept at addressing delicate issues in stressful situations, and her workshops and seminars were aimed at helping women navigate sensitive life junctures. In 1996, her address at a “How to Age with Style” seminar at the Radnor Hotel in Philadelphia was called “Where Do I Go From Here?”

She met Arthur Boxer on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, and they married in 1960. They had a son, Lou, and a daughter, Sarah. Her daughter died in 2005, and her husband died in 2020. Dr. Boxer and her husband were avid readers. She spent hours at the public library, cared for cats and dogs for years, and enjoyed watching through the window as birds gathered at her 10 feeders.

She liked to cook, garden, and do needlework. She doted on her grandsons and spent many evenings with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Dr. Boxer is survived by her son, two grandsons, two brothers, and other relatives.