Sandra C. VanDeventer

Sandra Sue VanDeventer (Sandy) was born in 1936 in Lost Creek, West Virginia. All her life she vividly remembered a childhood spent between two sets of grandparents – one living back in a mountain “holler” with no running water or electricity, and the other living just over the railroad tracks in a big two story house with her beloved Grandma and Grandpa Sands. As a small child she literally ran between the two worlds and could always fit in anywhere. Always proud of her mountain roots, after marrying David VanDeventer at age 21, she spent her life in Florida, where together they raised three children. Sandy was a Registered Nurse, graduating in 1957 from a rigorous nursing school program at Orange Memorial Hospital in Orlando, Florida. Even when not practicing her profession, as a born nurturer, she was always the one to whom the neighborhood turned when a medical situation arose, bandaging, fixing, cleaning, reassuring, and helping wherever she could. She maintained lifelong ties with her nursing school roommates and best friends, Wanda, Jenny, Sandra, Ginny, and Barbara, going on annual trips together in their later years. Sandra loved to cook, host events for family and friends, and was a wonderful dancer, a natural musician, a clever and original crafter, and a deeply caring mother and friend. She loved to laugh and have fun, and was never too busy to help anyone who needed an extra hand or shoulder to cry on. Sandy was an incredibly organized and creative party-giver and could manage a multi-day event for 40 family members as if it were nothing, cooking all the food and making sure that everyone had a comfortable place to sleep that night. She made everyone feel welcome and comfortable and modeled a spirit of generosity. She had a wonderful gift with words and music and was always ready to write a clever jingle or sing a song. She was so proud of her family, and while her husband, David, passed away when he was only 58 years old, he lived on in her children Stephanie (Leigh), Christopher (Rhonda), and Kevin (Donna), as well as her grandchildren David, Stephan, Caleb, Chrystal, Jacob, Kelly, and Kara. She is also survived by a sister, Debbie (Cliff) and a brother, David (Betty) as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Sandy spent additional years traveling and enjoying life in Lakeland, Florida with Richard Rubino and is also survived by his daughter, Diane and her children, Tiffany (Anthony) and Brittany (Hunter). Her memory will live on in all of those mentioned here and many others whose lives were touched by her.