Sandra Heaton

There is no way to describe a life for anyone that never really knew her, someone who was shy
as she was. Sandra had many friends when we met. She was willing to give it all up to move
with me to Lubbock, Texas. Sandra was a very caring person, she loved life so much. She loved
working with plants and the soil, I think, she just loved to see things live and grow and if you got
lucky BLOOM. She loved to laugh, she loved to play her Organ. She loved Dancing and music.
"It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, and a day to love them,
but it takes an entire lifetime to forget them." — Author unknown
She was a quiet and undemanding type who suffered most of her hurts alone. I had the honor
and privilege of knowing her for exactly 33 years this month. To this day I cannot comprehend
how 33 years flew by. She was my best friend, my longest friend. My dear friend. She was my
wife, My lover, my North, south, east and west. To steal a line. She taught me to save money for
a rainy day, and boy today is that day of days. She loved her only daughter dearly. She died
wishing that there had been a way to reconcile their differences
I don't want to just state facts about her life, because that is cold. The real Sandra was a deeply
caring and loving person. She was complicated as many women are. She was a mystery. She
was interesting. She was beautiful. She was hard to get to know, she never bragged about
herself, ever. She loved to visit places, but hated traveling to get there. To her the journey was
time wasted. The travel once you go there was time well spent.
She was like a masterful Dutch painting we visited in Amsterdam, you could see it and study it
over and over and you would find out new things and new beauty. I mourn for her with all my
heart. She loved her cats, especially Missy who lived 21.5 years.
Born in Atlanta, 3rd child of four. Moved to Jacksonville, due to marriage, that she was
transplanted here was lucky for me. Was it fate?, I don't know but it was love at first sight for
me. We both shared a love for warm winters. Sandra never had a lifelong career, she worked to
survive being a window at 24 years old. Raising 1 daughter alone. She did get into legal
secretary work before she retired.
Honesty, decency, reliability, honor, dignity, respect was the things she valued very highly. She
was never quick to anger, but once there she would express that anger, though she always
regretted getting there. she suffered most hurts in silence.
She taught me to love gardening. To appreciate the beauty of plants. She taught me so many
things. It's so weird that at the time , days passed slowly, but the end came fast and sadly she
suffered with Terminal Restlessness. The end surprised her nurse.
So one cannot do justice to someone's life of 76 years 7 months in a letter.
I loved her and still do.
I will never forget her until I take my last breath.