Sandra "Sandi" Steggell Andrews' Obituary
Sandra “Sandi” Steggell Andrews
November 4, 1952 – October 16, 2022
“Not All Who Wander Are Lost”
Sandi – our sweetheart, mom, and the heart of our family – passed away peacefully surrounded by love after a 14½ month battle with a terminal GBM brain tumor. She spent her last year in true Sandi style: Full of gratitude and kindness, enjoying life and going on adventures, and loving her family with all her heart.
Sandi was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, the second eldest of four, to George and Marilyn Steggell. She was a devoted and helpful daughter her entire life. She dearly loved her three brothers and always remained close to them. Her mother often said Sandi completely skipped crawling and has been on the go ever since. After spending her early childhood living in SLC’s Glendale area, her family moved to Bountiful, Utah, where she was a member of the first graduating class of Millcreek Junior High and served in student government at Bountiful High School. In her teens, she was a founding member of her high school's playful kazoo band, was genuinely friends with everyone and elected Prom royalty, and served on the Penny’s Teen Fashion Board.
She first met her sweetie, Reid, when they were young teenagers. They became great friends and soon were inseparable. After a few years of him “wearing her down” by consistently being helpful and fun, they got engaged and were married on February 10, 1973, and spent the next 50 years going on adventures together. Some memorable moments include forging their true partnership living as newlyweds near Los Angeles at the height of the 70s, creating very realistic Ghostbuster outfits for Halloween then visiting their daughters’ elementary to test out their "ghost detector", going jeeping in the wilderness navigating by only taking right-hand turns until they ran out of road or daylight, hosting wildly fun Trivial Pursuit game nights with friends where Sandi would have everyone in tears laughing, being among the first to explore the new Rockfeller-donated land incorporated into Teton National Park, pilgrimaging to the Utah Shakespeare Festival where Sandi longingly joked she wanted to be a tart lady, and spending four months of COVID lockdowns "stuck" living oceanfront in Hawaii at the start of their retirement.
The happy couple settled in Layton, Utah, and started their family in 1975, first giving birth to their daughter, Jenna, followed 20 minutes later by a surprise identical “BOGO” daughter, Shanna. Two years later, they added their “baby beans” daughter Erinn to the crew. Through example Sandi and Reid taught their girls to continually love learning, have fun and have a sense of humor, believe in oneself, always act with integrity and kindness, get involved (because it's more fun!), explore and enjoy nature, and care about others, especially family.
Family was very important to Sandi, and she loved being with her husband, children, grandchildren, and extended family. She never said good-bye without hugging (or lovingly pinching your bum) and telling them that she loved them. As a mom and grandma, she was fun-loving, supportive, and thoughtful. She cherished family traditions, including annual campouts in the mountains looking for moose (her spirit animal), Easter egg hunts in the red rocks or family garden, and silly-frenzied Christmas morning Nerf battles (that she would gleefully instigate).
A highlight in Sandi’s life was when she went to college in her 30s and earned a bachelor's degree in History from Weber State University. She was a highly engaged learner and well-liked by her professors. She started working at the WSU Stewart Library as a student and went on to be the Circulation Desk Supervisor and a beloved part of the university for three decades. She enjoyed interacting with the students and her colleagues, many of whom she considered dear friends. After a rewarding career that she loved, she and Reid both retired on New Year’s Eve 2019 excited for more adventures ahead.
All her life, Sandi loved nature and being outdoors. She was always up for going camping, hiking, and off-roading in Utah’s red rocks, the Tetons, and the Uintah Mountains. She was also a gifted gardener and – with her creative vision and Reid’s handy skills – created a beautiful yard loved by the hummingbirds, watched over by a lifesize Bigfoot they made, and teeming with tomatoes she grew for her grandchildren. Autumn, with its colorful leaves and mums, was her favorite time of year.
In her daily life, she zoomed around in her orange Jeep wearing a “Life is Good” t-shirt. That was Sandi! She also created a home that brought joy and comfort, filled with whimsical paintings, good-smelling lotions, and always at least one type of ice cream. In her spare time, she enjoyed reading (one of her all-time favorite books was The Princess Bride, and she read the whole Harry Potter series before it became well-known in the states and introduced it to many neighborhood kids) and watching movies (she was known to quote The Scarlet Pimpernel, loved campy horror films even as a kid, and gratefully got to see Hocus Pocus 2).
Sandi had a fun, friendly, witty personality and a laugh that would light up the room. She was also very kind and had a wonderful way of making everyone around her feel accepted for who they are. She is already deeply missed, but we honor her by being happy and being there for others.
Sandi is survived by her best friend and husband, Reid Andrews; her three daughters and their families: Jenna Taylor (husband Jon and children Paisley and Liam), Shanna Futral (children Zen and Emerson, daughter-in-law Elisabeth, and great granddaughter Zaylee); and Erinn James (husband Robert and children Everett, Karcher, and Jovie); her mother Marilyn McDonough Steggell; brothers Dan Steggell (Cheryl) and Ralph Steggell (Cheryl); sister-in-law Judy Lofthouse; mother-in-law Caraleen Harker Andrews; sibling-in-laws Richard Andrews (Leatha), Rene Andrews (Teresa), Raeleen Sanchez (Tony), and Rachel Andrews; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is preceded in death by her father George Proctor Steggell, brother Brad Steggell, father-in-law Herbert Andrews, and furbabies Mickey, Jake, and Ozzie.
The family would like to express our gratitude to all the healthcare workers and guardian angels at the University of Utah’s Neurocritical Care Unit, Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, and Huntsman Cancer Institute for giving us precious, quality time. We also want to thank the incredibly caring people from Symbii Home Hospice. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Sandi’s name to the Huntsman Cancer Institute at https://give.huntsmancancer.org/page/30815/donate/1.
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