Obituary: Sandra W. Thurston
April 21, 1941 – August 8, 2024
August 23, 2024
Sandra W. Thurston, 1941-2024
Our mom, Sandra W. Thurston, was truly a most amazing and remarkable woman and my sisters and I would like to tell you a little bit about her. She first came into this world on April 21, 1941, the daughter of Doris (Rankin) Wimble and Owen Wimble Sr. at Fanny Allen Hospital in Colchester, Vermont. She was the second of four children: Barbara, Sandy, Owen Jr., and Donald.
Growing up in Waitsfield, she was a vibrant, happy young girl and she graduated from Waitsfield High School before briefly taking a job in Washington, D.C. She soon decided the city was not her thing and moved back to Waitsfield where a short time later, she met her husband-to-be James (Jimmy T) Thurston Jr., a musician and house painter. She provided stability with a job at the unemployment office in Burlington and soon moved into an apartment with her new husband in Waterbury. A few years later, they moved to Kneeland Flats in Waterbury Center with their three children – Deborah Jean, Vicky Marie, and Jamie Lee.
Divorced after 12 years, Sandy then bought a house in Burlington and set about raising her children as a single mother, working two and sometimes three jobs to make ends meet. Things didn’t come easy for Sandy, but she kept on keeping on and saw to it that all three of her children graduated high school and moved on to careers of their own.
She eventually sold the house on James Avenue and moved into a brand-new condominium on Brickyard Road in Essex Junction. Sandy continued working for the state of Vermont for nearly 35 years until she took early retirement in 1995. Occasionally working part-time jobs here and there for something to do, our mom set herself up to enjoy life and never had to work a 9-to-5 full-time job again. She had the freedom to do the things that made her happy, including trips to see her friends, hitting the casino, or having three-hour lunches with lifelong friends, a.k.a. The Golden Girls.
Sometime in the mid to late 2000s, Mom was diagnosed with a degenerative lung disease. The news was life-altering, but Mom was stoic, strong and resilient. She went about her life with the same vim and vigor as she had before the diagnosis. As the disease progressed, however, she was forced to slow down, and eventually had to be on oxygen full-time. That never stopped her from enjoying life, especially as my No.1 fan. For any show that was within a few hours of her home, she was there front and center, with a grin from ear to ear that just beamed with pride. Even when she was eventually forced to use a wheelchair because of the extent of her lung damage, she carried the same smile and was the same bright light in the world that she had always been. The strength that woman exuded on a day-to-day basis was nothing short of remarkable and awe-inspiring.
Earlier this year, she had frequent health challenges that led to some extended stays in the hospital. As usual, and even though she was in remarkable pain, she spread joy and light to everyone she met. We would like to extend a special thank you to all the Baird 6 and McClure nurses and the doctors who treated her, as well as our case manager, Trisha. We are truly grateful for the empathy, compassion, and caring that you showed her and us in such a difficult time.
After not only fighting through all the current health challenges in 2024 but also the decades-long struggle with her lung disease, mom made the unbelievably courageous decision to stop treatment and return home to be cared for by her children during her transition to the next life. It’s still hard to comprehend the amount of bravery it takes to make a decision like that. Our mom took those wings that she had kept hidden for so long, spread them, and took flight a few days later in the early evening hours of August 8, 2024. She was surrounded by my sisters and me, each holding a hand and loving on her. I sang Mom some songs in those final precious moments, including one I had started writing for her that morning titled “Before You Go.” As I watched her breathing become more and more labored, a refrain came to me from the heavens and I sang it aloud: “It’s OK to go, Mama. It’s OK to go…..God will be waiting to walk you down that golden road, it’s OK to go.” Moments later, she took his hand and was gone.
Sandra W. Thurston is survived by her children, Vicky Cleland and her husband Ernest of Alburgh, Vermont, Jamie Lee Thurston and Lori Twele of Nashville, Tennessee, and Deborah West and husband Larry of Summerville, South Carolina; grandchildren Erin P. Raymond, Derrick Cleland and Cassondra West; great-grandchildren Harmony Cleland, Landon Oliver and Peighton West; and brother Owen A. Wimble Jr. of Waitsfield, Vermont. Jon Thibault (like a son to her), and best friend Evelyn Grasso of Venice, Florida, were among her extended family.
There will be a life celebration held on a future date to be determined by the family.
For those who wish, a memorial contribution to the University of Vermont Hospice & Palliative Care Program would be appreciated. Online condolences can be made at perkinsparker.com.
~ submitted by Sandra Thurston’s son, Jamie Lee Thurston