Obituary of Sandra Lynne Deere

May 24, 1941 – Geraldton, Ontario

June 26, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta

Sandra (Sandy) Deere (nee Jones), beloved wife of Raymond of Calgary, AB, passed away on Monday, June 26, 2023, at the age of 82 years.

Sandy lived with her family in the Geraldton/Longlac, Ontario region until she moved to Toronto where she graduated from Riverdale Collegiate High School and later the Hospital for Sick Children Nursing School as a Registered Nurse. This was followed by work at hospitals in Toronto, Montreal and Edinburgh, Scotland specializing as an OR nurse before moving to Calgary in 1968 to work as an OR nurse at the Alberta Children’s and Holy Cross hospitals.

In 1970, she met Ray during a two-week ski trip in Austria and 16 months later they married and started a journey together that lasted 52 years, and ultimately included two sons, two daughters-in-law, six grandchildren and one Calgary address. She left nursing after the birth of her eldest son but switched to work as a City of Calgary part-time swim instructor for school students for 10 years. She also volunteered first as a Beaver leader, and later, for nearly 20 years, as a track and field official with Athletics Alberta.

Sandy always enjoyed lane swimming as her primary source of exercise; not the swiftest swimmer, but always determined to complete her daily goal.  She also loved skiing (downhill and x-country), curling, paddling, and travel, especially trips to foreign countries.  In total she and Ray managed to visit all seven continents, the most memorable visits being to Antarctica and Australia.

Sandy was the mother of two sons, Owen (Virginia) and Jeremy (Jeanette); and grandmother to six grandchildren, Matthew, Megan, Madison, Logan, Tyson, and Sullivan (Sully), all in Calgary.  She is also survived by two sisters, Dianne (Atilla) and Susan (Ron) in Ontario; brother-in-law Jeff (Lynn) in Calgary, plus numerous nieces and nephews in Calgary, Ontario, Scotland, and Australia.

The family would like to thank the Calgary EMS paramedics, Calgary Fire Department personnel and Foothills Hospital emergency staff and volunteers for their care and compassion during a very stressful time.

A Celebration of Sandy’s Life will be held at the McInnis & Holloway (Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, AB) on July 22, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Reception to follow in the hospitality centre at the funeral home. All friends are invited to attend. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed here.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T3B 6A8, Telephone: (403) 955.8818. www.childrenshospital.ab.ca or the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Alberta, 200, 119 – 14th Street N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1Z6 Telephone: (403) 264-5549, www.heartandstroke.ca.

In living memory of Sandy Deere, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, Ab t2x 3j3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.