SANDY

The following was a talk given at a funeral.

The words that begin to define Sandy are Character, class, compassion, and. courage.
I first met Sandy in late July, 1970. Our first date was walking around in a local park. Our second was walking around at a local county fair. After that I never dated another woman. I never wanted to.

Five months later, on Christmas Eve, upstairs at her parent’s home, I proposed to Her. Fortunately, She said “Yes.”

We became partners in life – in every sense of the word. Sandy was my best friend. My soul mate.
My teacher. I was addicted to. HER.

Since I was told of Her death, many people have said. “We’re sorry for your loss.” I’ve said thanks. But at the risk of offending you – you really don’t know what my loss is. Some here have been married 20-30-40-50 years. I don’t want to be seen casting dirt on that.
But – my loss is that I no longer have a nearly perfect human being living with me. A nearly perfect human being.

You have sen bits and pieces of her. I’ve seen HER 24/7 for 52 years.
SHE did have one minor defect – She had no athletic talent. And She didn’t really like attending games.
And – in recent years – the shock of all shocks – She told me She hated one person, who will go nameless here.
I used to tease Sandy that if She saw two people arguing about Adolf Hitler, She would likely find something good about him – he liked dogs and playing with little kids.

Part of our courtship was built around attending the hockey season tickets I had. She drover up when they played here. I drove to her job city when they didn’t. Being Sandy. – She covered up her distaste for sports to be with me.

We bought a wooded lot around 1972-73. Then we designed, together, that home. Sandy had gardens all over that lot – front, sides, back. We cleared out the brush. I built walking paths all over the back. So She could walk around to all Her gardens. Sometimes She would sit back there and read.
When it became too difficult for Sandy to live there, we bought our current home. Sandy and Jill designed that home. And, of course, Sandy has a small garden in the back. This year, it was Her best effort – ablaze in color.

We didn’t have “sex.” WE made love – some times twice a day. It might have been after dinner, movie, Brandy Alexanders. It might have been totally spontaneous – like the time She requested before I lefty to play hockey for a l0:30 game. We were asked to leave a certain restaurant by offended patrons. Then there was the time we almost got caught by the Sheriff……………

When we were trying to have children, one day Sandy told me she was pregnant. For a while I didn’t like that. – I didn’t want to share Her with anybody.
But – sharing Sandy with the world is what made Her Sandy. Allowing Her to fly free like the birds she photographed spread Her around to others.

Much of all of this can be summarized by one word: CHARACTER – which you all know She had in great abundance. If you haven’t – there are high school yearbooks with notes written by adoring students, cards and letters from friends – in the other room. In the other room, we set up three tables: education….family and friends…photography – so you could begin to understand what I said earlier…a truly one in a million woman – in both talents and in the way She trated others.

And then – unfortunately revealed by tragedy – COURAGE. Ever since we injured her knee on Colorado’s “Hanging Mountain” – Sandy has been in pain, which has been increasing.
She shielded me from most of it – but I could see it in her face. I knew that life was getting more difficult for Her. She had trouble with any steps.


And now She’s gone. I got to talk with Her for about an hour on Saturday. I told Her how much I loved Her. And how very proud She should be that HER children were absolutely magnificent in how they were building Her celebration of life. – the kids and their spouses.

But even this isn’t the complete story……….. Unsaid are all the little things between the TWO. OF. US over 53 years…..
LOVE AND LAUGHTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please forgive me for bragging on. SANDY…….. but remember………..this beautiful, intelligent, kindly, talentred WOMAN for some incredible reason fell in love with me……..so………
I was granted the ability to live with. HER for 53 years…………….a nearly perfect human being.

People have said they were sorry for. “MY” loss. Sandy was much bigger than me.
Our entire family has suffered an irreplaceable loss. Sandy was much bigger than this too.
All of you who have come here have also suffered a loss.

A nearly perfect human being.