DoorDash driver killed Monday in Modesto remembered as ‘honest, hardworking man’

A few hours before Andrew Satavu was gunned down while delivering food for DoorDash on Monday night, he exchanged “I love you” texts with his wife, Katia.

“Right till the last few minutes, he knew how loved he was,” she said Wednesday.

Satavu was shot multiple times in his vehicle just after making a delivery on Gardenia Road around 9:45 p.m. No suspect has been arrested and no motive released by police, leaving his family and friends in shock and disbelief.

Satavu leaves behind five children: four boys and one girl. The youngest is 8, said Katia Satavu.

“He was the best husband. He was a great father,” his widow said at their Modesto home.

Andrew Satavu was from Fiji, and his roots were very important to him, she said. He talked with everyone he met.

“He was an honest, hardworking man,” Katia Satavu said. “And working is how he lost his life.” The couple both drove for DoorDash.

At age 17, his father left Fiji for California and never left it, said Andrew Satavu’s oldest son, Marcus.

His dad always dreamed big, Marcus Satavu said from Connecticut on Thursday as he prepared to head to Modesto for the funeral. “He left his parents, his whole family, and came out here on his own. He had drive, (was) very ambitious. He always lived life to the fullest.”

That zeal for life included coaching his children — and other kids, of course — in soccer, rugby, track and footballs; making music by hitting the drums and guitar; exploring the outdoor “playscape” of California, including surfing; dabbling in the stock market and more, Marcus said.

“He just he definitely loved exploring the creative art side of things, whether it’s music, or art, or just movement with the body. He just loved to enjoy life.”

His dad also truly loved working hard, Marcus added. That hard work allowed him to support not only his immediate family at home but also, for more than 30 years, to send money back to family in Fiji.

Andrew Satavu had worked at U.S. Foods in Livermore, but finding success in the stock market allowed him to retire early, his son said.

For the past few years, “just to keep himself busy and entertained, he took on that DoorDash role, and Uber Eats, just kind of doing that, making extra money,” Marcus Satavu said. “That’s one thing — my dad couldn’t stay still.”

A former U.S. Foods co-worker said Thursday that Andrew Satavu was “always happy and upbeat, and loved to get a laugh out of people.”

That sentiment was shared by another former U.S. Foods co-worker, Mario Sanchez, who carpooled with Satavu. “We had the best carpool ever ... ,” he posted on Facebook. “Never was a dull moment, so much laughter on the way to work & also n the breakroom. You’ll b truly missed My Friend.”

The former co-worker said though it had been a few years since Satavu worked at U.S. Foods, many people there still remember him fondly and were in disbelief when they heard of his death.

A family friend, Lisa Perez, said Satavu loved his family fiercely. “He was a family man,” she said.

He had a giant smile and treated everyone he met like family, Perez said Wednesday.

Satavu also was one of the hardest-working men Perez said she’s known. That he was working the night he died, to provide for his family, “is devastating,” she said.

“This is not even fathomable,” she added.

Marcus Satavu is not surprised his father touched a lot of lives and is fondly remembered. His dad has a way of inspiring people. “I guess the best line you can say about my dad is he was a jack of all trades, master of one, which was just mastering himself and his mind and his ability to control himself and the choices he made. And he applied that and pretty much gave everybody this you-can-do-anything mentality.”

Marcus said his family has not been informed by police of a possible motive for his dad’s shooting death, but a crime of opportunity — a robbery or carjacking attempt — seems likely. And hard as it is to think of his father’s final moments, Marcus has. He and his sister were talking about it and pictured their dad perhaps even smiling as he was confronted and tried to calm down the situation.

“My dad was always a happy-go-lucky kind of man,” Marcus said. “I think what this has done to our family, it’s kind of burst that bubble of how this world can be. This adversity I know will help to bring our family closer together.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 10:18 AM.