Sandy
Anderson of St. Leonard, MD passed away on March 4, 2017.
She
is survived by her husband, Charlie; daughters Ashley Kangas of Seattle, WA and
Kate Anderson of Charlotte, NC; and grandsons Anderson and Hunter Kangas. Born
November 6, 1942, Sandy dedicated her life to learning and education having
spent her career at D.C Public Schools. She received her B.A. from Arizona
State, her M.A. at Antioch College and her Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. Following
retirement, she has been actively involved in Arkadaslar, a Turkish Peace Corps
alumni group. Sandy spent two years in Turkey teaching English at an all-girls
school. She also was constantly writing; many of her articles were published in
the Bay Weekly Newspaper. Most recently, she had been writing a
historical fiction novel based on her ancestors who lived in the Appalachian
Mountains during the Civil War. Sandy lived a full life and touched many
people. She will be dearly missed by her friends and family.
Visitation was on Saturday, March 11 from 10 a.m. until the funeral service
at 11 a.m. at Patuxent Presbyterian Church. Interment was private. In lieu
of flowers, donations can be made to the American Chestnut Land Trust.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.rauschfuneralhomes.com.
https://smnewsnet.com/archives/416053/sandra-lee-anderson-sandy-74/
Tributes to Sandy Anderson:
Sandy was a friend, a guide, and a
terrific leader. During the September 2016 reunion, a group of us walked from
the hotel to downtown Washington. This included Sandy, Susan Holm, Linda
Scheffer, a few other ladies, and myself. We stopped to take pictures, caught
up on each other's lives, kept running into other RPCVs, then wound up at the
Turkish festival. It was great fun. That was the last time I saw Sandy. I
thank her husband Charlie and the rest of her family for the gift of Sandy in
our lives. She was on loan to us. I guess we are all on loan to each other.
I'm feeling grateful for all the terrific people that Peace Corps has brought
into my life.
--Donna Chmara
For me, Sandy was the keeper of the flame. Her
leadership was steady and reasoned and clear.
I send my heartfelt sympathy to her family and others in Arkadaslar.
Chris Lair, Turkey III
Dear Arkadaslar,
I was deeply saddened by the news of Sandys passing.
In my limited interactions with her, whenever I needed her help, she was always
ready with excellent advice. I will always remember fondly the time she visited
me at my house and shared some of her memories of Turkey.
My sincere condolences to you and to her family.
Yildiz Yagci
This is such sad, sad news. My deepest condolences
to Sandy's two daughters and to her husband, Charlie. The Arkadaslar family has
lost a dear friend. Pat Lowther
Muharrem,
Thank you for such a
thoughtful, insightful, post. "Dost" was definitely the right word for Sandy.
Hosca kalin,
Sue
When I first met Sandy at Nizam's
restaurant for a Bayram Dinner get-together almost twenty years ago, I mentioned
how much I liked her email address "TurkeyDost". The combination of two words
delivers a profound meaning since "Dost" has a deeper value than "Arkadas" and
that's how Sandy must have felt about our "Memleket".
If you attended to a funeral in
Turkey, you must have observed that the ceremony takes place in the courtyard of
a mosque (usually after the noon or afternoon prayer) where the coffin rests on
the Musalla Tasi. The Hoca asks those attending, "How did you know this person?"
and everyone responds, "a good
person".... is the ultimate honor that is bestowed upon the deceased.
Sandy's sudden death is a huge
loss for us all. I lost a good friend.
Hoşҫa Kalınız,
Muharrem Sev
I did not know of Sandy's passing until late last night when Margaret Hamill
Patterson (T4), tracked me down. It is a good thing she asked me if I was
sitting down before she gave me the news, as I surely would have fallen down
from the total shock of hearing it. I was in total disbelief, as I had just
talked to her on the phone Wednesday evening, going over some changes I found
that needed to be made to the next issue of "Buralarda." She had sent me a
draft of the issue and I printed it off my computer and brought it with me. Of
course, she was working on her computer, at 2:00 AM, probably working on
"Buralarda," when she told Charlie she thought she was having a stroke.
Charlie called 911 and she was quickly transported to the hospital. Their
daughter, Ashley, who lives in Seattle, and their daughter, Kate, who lives in
NC, were both able to get to the hospital to see her before she passed away. I,
and Charlie, both believe she stayed alive until Ashley and Kate arrived.
Sandy was one of the finest, most caring, thoughtful, and committed persons I
have ever known. Whatever she was involved in, she gave it her all. She and I
worked closely together on "Arkadaslar" activities, to which Charlie can
attest! Oftentimes, we would be on the phone for hours. We wanted to be sure
we had the most up-to-date, and accurate information as possible, whether for
the Membership Directory, the newsletter, "Buralarda," or for global Reunions.
Sandy was very much a family person. Her husband, Charlie, was her soul mate.
They did many things together, but also had their own interests. Charlie's was
woodworking, and photography, and Sandy's was "Arkadaslar" activities, writing
a book about her ancestors, and taking Spanish classes. She was very proud of
the accomplishments of their daughters, Ashley and Kate. She adored their two
grandchildren, Anderson and Hunter, and looked forward to their visits with them
in Seattle. She was so looking forward to having the boys come visit them in
Maryland this summer.
Not a day will go by that I will not miss her. She lived a good life, but an
all too short one. Rest in peace my friend, you deserve it. To Charlie,
Ashley, Kate, Mike, Anderson, Hunter, and her other relatives, my sincerest
sympathies. My prayers are with all of you.
Linda
I feel that Sandy had 2 families, and we in
Arkadaslar were so very lucky to be a part of one of them. As any exemplary
mother, she gathered us together, nurtured us, and then kept us together. Even
though I barely knew her, she always made me feel like a special part of the
family, and as such, she will be missed terribly by us all. Joan Keene Smith
I believe this concern about Sandy and the loss of her service to all of us
respects her as the kind of person she was: warm, friendly and dedicated to her
PC service, her PC friends, our joint efforts to promote the ideals that sent us
all to the Peace Corps in the first place, and her determination to help us all
stay in touch to promote our friendship and joint goals. She will be sorely
missed. Chuck Mast
So sad that the inspiration that
has kept Arkadaslar as an important part of our lives has passed.
Charlie, Ashley and Kate please
know what a wonderful person Sandy was; dedicated to sustaining the love we have
for our PC experience and our fondness for the people of Turkey........our
condolences.
Paul & Magali Kirwan
I feel that Sandy had 2 families, and we in Arkadaslar were so very lucky to be
a part of one of them. As any exemplary mother, she gathered us together,
nurtured us, and then kept us together. Even though I barely knew her, she
always made me feel like a special part of the family, and as such, she will be
missed terribly by us all. -- Joan Keene Smith
thanks
joan. your words ring very true of the family-like bond peace corps service
creates. sandy was honored by arkasdaslar publicly on several occasions for her
work and contributions, but we are also now noting the contributions of her
heart, her generosity of time given for a cause she believed in. kulaklarin
cinlasinlar! (may her ears ring with joy from the praise for her).
two weeks ago she
wrote me in response to my new years letter that ends with a poem written
earlier, but read to our turkey 10 group at the reunion last fall to honor the
death of one of our members (steve poppick). in 2011 and in 2016, our group and
sandy's group joined together because we had many friendships between us.
my purpose in writing
the poem was to put loss of a loved one in a more positive perspective, part of
the cycle of life that continues in a different manner. sandy had written in her
last letter to me how much she loved the poem. i was touched by her praise, but
even it is even more poignant since her passing. i've shared the poem with her
family, and am including it below.
We seem to glide through
life while on a path,
a moving river of
relationships,
so when those waves that gave
us momentum
rise humbly and then bow into
the sea,
we pause to honor what they
meant to us.
We have not lost them nor
have they lost us:
The essence of the wave is in the
sea,
its earthly home to which it
must return.
Their crests and foam that once
delighted us
give way to joy for deep
peace they have found −
still in our memory though
gone from sight −
just as we will return and slip from view,
engraved within the hearts of
those we love
as bits of time that glimpse
eternity.
Ebbs, Flows and
Waves
April 26, 2009,
revised January 25, 2017
nur icinde
yatsın. may she repose in the light.
Cathryn Goddard
Aside from our board meetings I
did not know Sandy well, but I do know how important she was to Arkadaslar. She
will, indeed, be missed. -- Elliott Eisenberg
I have just
learned that we have lost our beloved Arkadaş Sandy Hanım.
I am so sad.
Hepimizin başı
sağolsun.
"Sevgili Sandy Hanım,
İnsanlık güzel bir
evladını, Türkiye büyük bir dostunu kaybetti.
Arkadaşlar artık
biraz daha eksik, biraz daha yalnız.
Ne mutlu ki sizi
tanıdım.
Sizin
çalışkanlığınız, iletişim becerileriniz, idealizminiz ve sabrınız bana hep örnek
oldu
Kitabımın
yazılması süresince bana duyduğunuz güven, verdiğiniz destek ve sabrınız için
size minnettarım.
Mekanınız Cennet
olsun. Allah size rahmet eylesin.
Zafer Parlak
Translation:
Dear Sandy Hanım,
Humanity has lost
a beloved child, Turkey has lost a great friend.
Arkadaşlar are now
more incomplete without you, and we are more lonely.
I am so happy I
have had the honor to meet you.
Your working
habit, commmunicative skills, idealism and patience have always been a light
house for me.
I am grateful for
your trust in me and for your support for my book project.
May Heaven be your
eternal resting place. Rest in Peace."
Selam ve sevgilerle....
Zafer Parlak
Arkadaslarima,
I am in shock. I corresponded with Sandy on Friday afternoon apparently just
three hours before her aneurysm later in the afternoon.
Sandy was a wonderful person. She was working on a tribute to the Pearsons, who
died tragically at Uludag in Bursa. She had asked if a piece I had written in
2004 could be included, and I had just told her "yes."
We are never ready for anyone's sudden death, and I'm sure we will all need time
to make sense of it and grieve in our own way. For me, Sandy epitomized the
second goal of the Peace Corps, that is, "To help promote a better understanding
of Americans on the part of the peoples served." Her energy, her gentle
persistence, her vision, and her plain hard work will not be forgotten. Hers was
a life well lived!
I am including the emails. I don't know if anyone else was involved with the
tribute to the Pearsons, but I am hoping someone knows enough about it to pick
it up where Sandy left off. If so, my little piece could be included.
With great sorrow,
Ken St. Louis
Turkey 10
Sandy will be profoundly missed! My condolences to her family. --Beverly
Ausfahl
Turkey 13
The pieces of Sandy that
touched so many of us add up to her delightful self still being here I'm sure.
Larry
Montgomery
It is with such a heavy heart that I pass on the shocking news that Sandy passed
away yesterday, March 4. I spoke with her husband, Charlie, a little while
ago. It was very sudden--an aneurism that occurred in the early hours, as she
was, as usual, working at her desk. Both her daughters made it to the hospital
room before she died. "She waited for them," Charlie says. Arrangements for a
memorial service have not yet been made. We will pass along information as we
get it. Arkadaslar will never be the same. Peggy Hanson
JUST READ THE SAD NEWS ABOUT SANDY. MAY HER SOUL BE AT REST. Erden Erkam
Impossible to imagine Arkadaslar without Sandy. Allan Gall
Im sure those of us who were Turkey 13s took great pride that Sandy was one of
us. She always projected such a wholesome outlook that it was impossible not to
be uplifted when interacting with her.
Her caring spirit touched us all
in memorable ways, which makes her passing all the more painful as we
acknowledge the scale of our loss.
Jim McHenry
Oh, my God. My God
Receive Sandy's Soul With Joy, as much as she gave to all of us.
Leo Hogan
My Condolences to
Sandy's family. It's such a shock...
Very
sad news. My condolences to Sandys family. She will be missed.
Colleen Doherty
Im shocked and deeply saddened!
Deepest condolences to her family, geҫmiş olsun!
R.I.P. to Sandy. It will take a while to believe that she is no longer with
us.
A dear friend, a founder and stalwart of Arkadaslar. A lovely person! -- Ken
Hill
My condolences to Sandy's family. Başların saǧ󠆰 olsun.
We will miss her. --Colleen Clark, Turkey IV
Dear All,
It is with
profound sorrow I am writing this email. I just received a call from Sandys
daughter Ashley that her mother passed away yesterday evening at 6:30 p.m. very
suddenly from aneurysm. I am in such disbelief and in tears that our beloved
friend and leader of everything Askadaslar and keeping all of us together all
these years is no longer with us.
Both of her
daughters Ashley and Kate are with Charlie and tentatively are making funeral
arrangements for next weekend.
Perhaps we can
collect messages for Sandys family via Arkadaslar and share them next weekend.
We can post more complete funeral arrangements as we know them via Arkadaslar.
Allah rahmet
eylesin. Başın sağolsun
Joan Weeks
So difficult to imagine life,
and certainly Arkadaslar, without Sandy. I remember so clearly the day she
arrived at PC training -- I was looking out the dorm window and here she came,
tall and strong, as always. Gözlerinden öperim. Such a good friend always,
and such a steady hand and head guiding us all in Arkadaslar. --Susan Holm
Unbelievably sad and difficult to deal with. She was so vital, competent, and a
friend to all. So hard to even consider this. There is no good way to deal with
it except with respectful, warm remembrance.
At board meetings we will seek her
rational contributions - and upon automatically looking for her, we will find
emptiness and a hollow space will open in our hearts.
We shall dramatically miss her.
Doug Shifflet
What??? How can this be?? How
horrible, not to mention sad. I'm in shock.
Jill
So shocked. So sorry. So sad. --Linda B
Oh no! I am shocked and sad as
well. A loss for us all. Judie Jerald
Sandy meant a lot to all of us no
matter what group or whether you were a spouse of a PCV. (like me)
Eventually, if it hasn't been
already discussed, and in consultation with Charlie, might we put together a
fund to support a project in her Memory ?
Barbara Bloch
Sandy was a dear
personal friend and an Arkadașlar mainstay. I'm still reeling
from the shock of her untimely death. Sandy was the "go-to" person for
getting questions answered about Arkadașlar on
everything from our database of members, directory, listserv,
special publications (photo books), annual bayram dinners, and
much, much more. She collected news for Buralarda, for the
website, for the different training groups. She was a terrific
organizer, correspondent, historian, writer, educator, colleague, and
friend. But she had a life beyond Arkadașlar as well: birding,
photography, writing, family, local politics, and church. I feel fortunate
to have known such an amazing, intelligent, caring, interesting, and dedicated
person. We will all miss her greatly. -- Ellie LeBaron
Sandra Lee "Sandy" Anderson
November 06, 1943 - March 04, 2017
Visitation
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Services
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Saturday, March 11, 2017
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Patuxent
Presbyterian Church
23421 Kingston Creek Road
California MD 20619
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Funeral Service
Saturday, March 11, 2017
11:00 AM
Patuxent
Presbyterian Church
23421 Kingston Creek Road
California MD 20619
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Interment
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Contributions
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American Chestnut Land Trust
P.O. Box 2363
Prince Frederick MD 20678
website: https://acltweb.org |
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