April 1
April 1
Remembering my ADPi big sister "Stella" and all the fun we had both at Hanover and in Denver where we shared an apartment for two years. I can see her so clearly. Happy Birthday, Stel.
This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Sandra Johnson, 73 years old, born on March 31, 1944, and passed away on July 3, 2017. We will remember her forever.
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March 31, 2019
March 31, 2019
As I wrote in Aug. 2017, Sandy was a wonderful college classmate who left us much too soon. As a waiter/dishwasher in her sorority house for three years, I saw her often and recall her well.
April 3, 2018
April 3, 2018
I'll add another Rocky Bay story. I do not want to 'snitch' on the sources....uhh...yes I do....it was Ann and Ruth. We all were having dinner in the village and at some point Sandy went to the ladies room.
Only when she was gone did Ann and Ruth tell me the tale of Sandy's reaction to another faux pas by the Kelley family....seems to be a habit with them!
They uprooted and took out quite a few trees down by the shore...presumably because of their condition...I'm not sure their reason.
Being vaguely responsible folks I doubt their intent was to annoy anybody...least of all Sandy.
Well...when Sandy arrived and saw the relatively empty space where
the trees had been located, Ann and Ruth said she went down to the area and counted how many had been taken down....each one needlessly in her opinion. Mom and sis said they could hear her counting as she examined the ground....counting unhappily for sure.
I gathered that this was not a one-time activity for Sandy. She apparently went down several times....did the counting thing several times....each time getting a higher number....becoming more upset after each visit.
This story led to a few laughs at the table for both Ruth and Ann....and me. Absolutely all of those laughs occurred when Sandy was absent from the table....and upon her return...the topic of conversation abruptly changed....NO mention of trees or their absence due to Mom and sis being aware that their mention might spoil the entrée and the occasion
for San.
..
Only when she was gone did Ann and Ruth tell me the tale of Sandy's reaction to another faux pas by the Kelley family....seems to be a habit with them!
They uprooted and took out quite a few trees down by the shore...presumably because of their condition...I'm not sure their reason.
Being vaguely responsible folks I doubt their intent was to annoy anybody...least of all Sandy.
Well...when Sandy arrived and saw the relatively empty space where
the trees had been located, Ann and Ruth said she went down to the area and counted how many had been taken down....each one needlessly in her opinion. Mom and sis said they could hear her counting as she examined the ground....counting unhappily for sure.
I gathered that this was not a one-time activity for Sandy. She apparently went down several times....did the counting thing several times....each time getting a higher number....becoming more upset after each visit.
This story led to a few laughs at the table for both Ruth and Ann....and me. Absolutely all of those laughs occurred when Sandy was absent from the table....and upon her return...the topic of conversation abruptly changed....NO mention of trees or their absence due to Mom and sis being aware that their mention might spoil the entrée and the occasion
for San.
..
March 31, 2018
March 31, 2018
I have been thinking about you this week, dear friend as your birthday drew near. I was remembering your visits to Columbia City when you traveled for PBS. Visiting with you one on one was always the best way to learn what was going on in your life. As fresman roommates in The Morgue at Hanover and then sorority sisters in ADPi, we shared good times and challenging times. The pranks and good laughs were the best. I am so glad we kept communicating through the years, and I think about our pledge class reunion at the cabin so often. You were a great pie baking, entertaining hostess. I made Monkey Puke for everyone...
August 18, 2017
August 18, 2017
Sandy was a true friend to me and so many others that she encountered. It was easy to see that she was genuine, caring, funny, and thoughtful. We kept in touch via email until not that long ago, and I miss hearing from her.
August 17, 2017
August 17, 2017
Sandy was my "Big Sister" in our college sorority 50 years ago and, after graduation, was my roommate in Denver for two years. We always got along well, though I was often the recipient of her pranks:) (She did have an impish streak!) Sandy was "down to earth" and honest. She didn't seek attention or try to flatter or dissemble. We had kept our friendship over the years and I was so sad that she was stricken at such an early age by the devastation of Alzheimer's. I will miss her.
August 15, 2017
August 15, 2017
Sandy was a friend, colleague and mentor. As I wrap up a 13 year teaching stint at Colorado Mesa University, I attribute what I knew (and taught) about event management, professionalism, detail and follow-through to Sandy (- and the colleague whom Sandy and I referred affectionately to as "The Lou").
We shared a love of dogs, the mountains and the Adirondacks.
Whatever Sandy approached- she did with precision and speed. (This included driving .... Just sayin !)
We will miss Sandy - but generations of students, teachers and television professionals will continue to benefit from her work and her pizazz! Thank you, Sandy!
We shared a love of dogs, the mountains and the Adirondacks.
Whatever Sandy approached- she did with precision and speed. (This included driving .... Just sayin !)
We will miss Sandy - but generations of students, teachers and television professionals will continue to benefit from her work and her pizazz! Thank you, Sandy!
August 8, 2017
August 8, 2017
We know that Sandy had a deep and abiding love for Rocky Bay camp in the Adirondacks all her life. I recall when the current owners....The Kelley Family....installed stairs from the dock to the cabin...in an effort to give a boost to any visitor of a certain age. Certainly the original path was rocky and a bit twisty and might reasonably lead to a tumble or two.
Their intent was honorable.
BUT! I heard from Ann and Ruth that Sandy was kind of offended by this new-fangled entrance and was determined to keep to the olde tyme way of going up the hill. So she purposefully and nobly [!] avoided the stairs for a while and went up to the cabin in a circuitous route which was even rockier and riskier than the original path. Her choice...I suspect....would have drawn cheers from a variety of olde-time Rocky Bay camp souls....including her Dad, Gret and Baba.
Their intent was honorable.
BUT! I heard from Ann and Ruth that Sandy was kind of offended by this new-fangled entrance and was determined to keep to the olde tyme way of going up the hill. So she purposefully and nobly [!] avoided the stairs for a while and went up to the cabin in a circuitous route which was even rockier and riskier than the original path. Her choice...I suspect....would have drawn cheers from a variety of olde-time Rocky Bay camp souls....including her Dad, Gret and Baba.
August 8, 2017
August 8, 2017
Here's to all of the stories told, meals shared, hikes with dogs, sunrises and sunsets in Fairplay over the last 25 + years!
Your neighbors and friends, Jeannine and Donna
Your neighbors and friends, Jeannine and Donna
August 7, 2017
August 7, 2017
My friendship with Sandy began in 1987 when I moved to Denver and joined Pacific Mountain Network, where we were colleagues. She became a dear and loyal friend, always honest, never pretentious. She always made me feel glad to be with her. Truly, she had a heart of gold. I will miss her very much.
August 5, 2017
August 5, 2017
Sandy and I were college classmates. She and I both attended our 40th reunion in 2006 but sadly only I could attend our 50th last year. I can’t seem to come up with the right words to express how I feel except to say how terribly sad it is to lose a friend and a contemporary at an age which is far too soon to be taken. My thoughts go out to you, Ann.
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Recent Tributes
April 1
April 1
Remembering my ADPi big sister "Stella" and all the fun we had both at Hanover and in Denver where we shared an apartment for two years. I can see her so clearly. Happy Birthday, Stel.
March 31, 2019
March 31, 2019
As I wrote in Aug. 2017, Sandy was a wonderful college classmate who left us much too soon. As a waiter/dishwasher in her sorority house for three years, I saw her often and recall her well.
April 3, 2018
April 3, 2018
I'll add another Rocky Bay story. I do not want to 'snitch' on the sources....uhh...yes I do....it was Ann and Ruth. We all were having dinner in the village and at some point Sandy went to the ladies room.
Only when she was gone did Ann and Ruth tell me the tale of Sandy's reaction to another faux pas by the Kelley family....seems to be a habit with them!
They uprooted and took out quite a few trees down by the shore...presumably because of their condition...I'm not sure their reason.
Being vaguely responsible folks I doubt their intent was to annoy anybody...least of all Sandy.
Well...when Sandy arrived and saw the relatively empty space where
the trees had been located, Ann and Ruth said she went down to the area and counted how many had been taken down....each one needlessly in her opinion. Mom and sis said they could hear her counting as she examined the ground....counting unhappily for sure.
I gathered that this was not a one-time activity for Sandy. She apparently went down several times....did the counting thing several times....each time getting a higher number....becoming more upset after each visit.
This story led to a few laughs at the table for both Ruth and Ann....and me. Absolutely all of those laughs occurred when Sandy was absent from the table....and upon her return...the topic of conversation abruptly changed....NO mention of trees or their absence due to Mom and sis being aware that their mention might spoil the entrée and the occasion
for San.
..
Only when she was gone did Ann and Ruth tell me the tale of Sandy's reaction to another faux pas by the Kelley family....seems to be a habit with them!
They uprooted and took out quite a few trees down by the shore...presumably because of their condition...I'm not sure their reason.
Being vaguely responsible folks I doubt their intent was to annoy anybody...least of all Sandy.
Well...when Sandy arrived and saw the relatively empty space where
the trees had been located, Ann and Ruth said she went down to the area and counted how many had been taken down....each one needlessly in her opinion. Mom and sis said they could hear her counting as she examined the ground....counting unhappily for sure.
I gathered that this was not a one-time activity for Sandy. She apparently went down several times....did the counting thing several times....each time getting a higher number....becoming more upset after each visit.
This story led to a few laughs at the table for both Ruth and Ann....and me. Absolutely all of those laughs occurred when Sandy was absent from the table....and upon her return...the topic of conversation abruptly changed....NO mention of trees or their absence due to Mom and sis being aware that their mention might spoil the entrée and the occasion
for San.
..
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Recent stories
Children at the Lake
August 15, 2017
My family has known the Johnson family since our parents were young and we were all children together at the lake. Our camps were about 1/3 mile apart on the same island and are still there after over 100 years. I have sweet memories of us all swimming, camping, and hiking in the mountains.
One year we all climbed Mount MacIntyre, the second highest peak in the Adirondacks, a very long and unforgetable day. Another year we climbed Mount Van Hovenberg and walked the Olympic bobsled run (in the summer).
We often had dinner at each other's camps and I have a picture of all of us as toddlers on the front steps of our cabin - Ann, me, Margie, Blake, and Sandra. I will send that picture to Ann. We were at the lake this summer and we missed you. We will always think of you an remember the good time we had there.
Sandy
August 14, 2017
Sandy
My first memories of Sandy were in the gym at Hanover where she spent much time. At one time she was a P.E. major according to the Revonah, which I would have been, too, if I had really wanted to teach. The sports offerings for girls were meager in those days. Half-court basketball was about as exciting for Sandy as it was for me. One year I joined her team because they were having an “inter-collegiate” match at Ball State and I had a friend there. On the road trip, Pat Shook was our driver when we slid on the ice, did a 360 and went through a fence – only time I had a life–flashing-before-my-eyes experience. No one was hurt but I felt sorry for the farmer who had a fence to mend.
Sandy was a natural athlete. She did everything well and looked good doing it. Even today, I picture her in the traditional garb of cut-off blue jeans, sweatshirt, white stand up socks and tennies. We weren’t allowed such casual dress for classes, but I think they were often under Sandy’s trench coat, if I remember correctly…Speaking of clothes, Sandy actually had a great clothes sense; she had stunning outfits and looked marvelous in them!
Sandy was quiet most of the time in my presence, but she was a great listener. And when she did speak, usually making a droll and/or witty comment, it rolled off her tongue without hesitation and she never smiled while the rest of us roared with laughter.
We shared geographic roots in New York and Colorado but busy lives limited our visits in Colorado unless Emily was coming to visit. I loved her interior design sense in her home here and copied the glass paneled door idea she used in her home in mine.
So once again, Sandy is skiing … the slopes of heaven and now, playing full court basketball. She was one of a kind, missed, and appreciated!