Sandra died suddenly in a water accident while snorkeling in Lanai, Hawaii, on a family vacation to Maui. She was brought up in Aylmer, Quebec and later studied Sociology at Carleton University (B.A.) and Nursing (O.R.T., R.N.A., R.N.). She worked as a nurse at the Ottawa Civic, the Salvation Army Grace and the Ottawa General Hospitals, specializing in Hematology/Oncology. Later, she worked at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria in Oncology (RP1), after moving to the West Coast with her husband in 2005. She retired in 2012.
Sandra supported a number of causes: Child Haven International, the Unitarian Church, and the Green Party. She also enjoyed an active lifestyle for most of her life including canoeing, skiing, cycling and swimming as well as travel. She met her husband, Jim, on a canoe trip in the seventies in Ottawa with the Canadian Hosteling Association and they were married in 1977, raising two sons, Ross and Graham. Sandra is survived by her husband of 37 years, Jim, and her sons Ross (Kim) and Graham. She is also survived by her sister, Delphy Routliffe, and her cousins: Ann Clayton (Grant), Bonnie O'Connor and John Routliffe. She was predeceased by her parents, Allan and Mary Routliffe and her grandparents, Albert (Bud) and Edith Routliffe.
A Memorial Service, celebrating Sandra's life, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28th at 2:00PM at the First Unitarian Church of Victoria at 5575 West Saanich Rd, Victoria, BC (Memorial FB page: http://goo.gl/5tb9mu). In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Child Haven International (www.childhaven.ca).
Published in The Ottawa Citizen on Feb. 26, 2015