Sandra Ann Robinson was born January 8, 1975 in Lafayette, Indiana. When she was 5, the family moved to the Pacific Northwest, eventually settling in Astoria, Oregon when Sandra was 7. It was in Astoria that she attended elementary school. The daughter of academics, Sandra was always an excellent student and received many awards and recognitions throughout school. During these years she loved to take piano and baton classes. She marched and performed with her baton troupe in annual parades in Astoria and participated in piano recitals regularly.
When she was 11, the family relocated to Fremont, CA where she finished her academic career. Sandra always considered Astoria her hometown, however, and was able to maintain friendships over the miles and years. While in high school, Sandra worked at a veterinarian’s office, a natural fit for someone who always loved animals. After graduating high school in 1993 she attended Heald College, earning a legal secretary degree and entered the workforce full time as a legal secretary for a large firm.
Unsatisfied with her career, Sandra returned to school in the late 90s and completed a B.A. in Art History from U.C. Santa Cruz, graduating with honors. During her junior year she lived and studied abroad in Venice where she quickly learned to speak fluent Italian. In Italy she was able to indulge her love of art, the Italian people and culture, and of course, Italian food. She made the most of the opportunity by traveling through Europe with stops in Rome, Scotland, and Paris. Walking through the Louvre and Notre Dame was a special memory. She attended culinary classes while in Italy and her family fondly remembers her homemade scratch lasagnas.
In 2013 Sandra shifted gears in her career and moved to Seattle, working in real estate contracts for a large corporation up until her passing. Her contagious “snort laughs” and gregarious personality earned her many friends around the office.
In 2020, Sandra discovered the charm of Poulsbo, WA, and made it her new home. In 2022 she became dog momma to Effie, an English cream golden retriever. Like everything else she took an interest in, Sandra passionately learned all she could about the subject and she tirelessly, lovingly raised Effie from a puppy. She relished spending her time training Effie and could often be found walking her near the marina, or taking her on doggy play dates. Sandra loved receiving and sharing “report cards” from Effie’s doggy daycare and was grateful to have found the ideal place for Effie to play while she was at work.
Sandra was so many more things, such as being an avid reader, particularly fond of fantasy and historical romance. She was a diehard Seahawks fan and regular game attendee, and an enthusiastic supporter of liberal causes and politics. She was extremely well read on many subjects, respectful but unapologetic in her opinions, and always capable of carrying on an energetic conversation. Above all, Sandra was a very caring and loyal friend.
She pursued many other interests over the years, including salsa dancing, country line dancing, roller blading, camping, and kayaking. She was proud of her personal records in the gym. As an adult she found again her love of piano and spent time relearning the instrument. She enjoyed music in general, having attended Storm Large’s famous holiday concerts, among many others.
Sandra was very proud of her nieces and nephews, and she doted on them at every opportunity. In recent years Sandra started a new tradition of holiday gift-giving that her family quickly embraced, giving humorously appropriate (and often hilariously inappropriate) coffee mugs. The care she put into selecting the perfect mug for each recipient was itself the best gift possible.
Sandra is survived by her mother and husband (Diane and Bill Anders), father (Kimball Robinson), uncle (Myrl Moore), brother and sister-in-law (Brian and Jessica Robinson), and five loving nieces and nephews (Katie, Christian, Derek, Dallas, and Raelynn).
A celebration of her life will be held in Astoria, OR in May.
