Sandra Anne Tolmie of Los Alamos New Mexico was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She left this world suddenly on March 22, 2022, at the age of 83.
She was born on August 31, 1938, in Belvidere Illinois. The family moved to Albuquerque in 1947 where Sandra graduated from Highland High School in 1956. She then went on to get her teaching degree at University of New Mexico in 1960. She married Don Tolmie in the same year and moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico where she became a 2nd grade teacher at Aspen Elementary School. Sandra and Don had two children, Debbie (Jeff) Huling of Los Alamos and Dave (Margie) Tolmie of Madison, WI. She adored her two grandchildren, Sarah and Andrew Tolmie of Madison, WI.
Sandra had a youthful eagerness to explore and a zest for life that was as infectious as her laugh. She enjoyed square dancing, hiking, skiing, boating, camping, and getting out into nature to enjoy the beauty around her. Sandra’s adventures took her to trips abroad and around the United States. Her youthful and adventurous spirit provided her with the courage to zipline in Costa Rica, jet boat in New Zealand, fly in hot air balloons, and ride roller coasters wherever she could find them. These adventures led to shrieks heard around the world, each followed by her mantra “I did it!”
Macular degeneration in her later years severely affected her vision and left her almost totally blind. She compensated with low vision aids and many talking books from the Library for the Blind (Tom Clancy and Judith Jance were among her favorite authors). Help from son Dave, who is also blind, was comforting and invaluable. The Family YMCA Silver Sneakers exercise classes were a joyful activity; her sudden death catching them by surprise.
Sandra’s love for helping was evident with her volunteer work with the schools, Hospital Auxiliary, and many donations to families in need. She and Don were active members of the United Church of Los Alamos for over 60 years.
A service to celebrate Sandra’s life will be held on April 9, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the United Church of Los Alamos, 2525 Canyon Road. In Lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in honor of her life to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or a charity of your choice.