WESTBROOK- On Sunday, November 24th, Sandra Elaine Grondin, at the age of 87, died peacefully in her sleep at Sedgewood Commons in Falmouth, ME. Sandra is survived by her six children: Vicki Grondin, Bob Grondin 3rd, Chris Grondin, Ken Grondin, Amy Grondin, Jenn Plummer, 11 beloved grandchildren, 16 greatgrandchildren and siblings Karen Morrell, Linda Verrier, and Kathy Greenlaw. In addition to her parents, Sandra was preceded in death by her brother, William Morrell, and sister, Shirley Davis.
Sandra was born on February 11, 1937, in Portland, Maine, to Vivian and William Morrell. Her childhood was spent on the family farm in Gorham. Sandra attended Gorham High School where she found a lifelong love of music and theater, reading, and excelled in her studies as well as home economics. Throughout her life, she shared these passions with her children. The early years were sometimes tight, but life was rich with library visits and bedtime stories, teaching her children to read music, and encouraging them to be curious and creative, traits that have served them well in life. She celebrated their young achievements with them – the first deer (and the many that followed), cheered at sporting events and school plays, and proudly admired their energetic spirits and antics as they got up to. From the simplest meal to the candy-studded gingerbread houses for her grandchildren, each was made full of love and creativity. Over the years not a birthday, anniversary, or holiday passed without a heartfelt sentiment signed between the folds of a greeting card.
When not reading, Sandra was a prolific creator of all things yarn, fabric, and thread. The clothes she sewed for the first day of school were an annual happening. Sweaters with cables and knots, prancing deer, and Icelandic patterns are family treasures worn by several generations. The framed embroidery made for each of her adult children took a homespun craft to a level of art.
What first may come to mind when thinking of Sandra is her prolific green thumb. She had an ability to pull a garden from the earth where previously was a weedy patch of ground. Time spent in gardens offered relief for challenges she faced with mental health. Over the years, Sandra found peace and contentment in all things that grew and bloomed in the flower beds she tended.
A Celebration of Life, to be held in 2025, will announced by the family. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, an organization that annually received a Christmas gift from Sandra.
Online condolence messages can be submitted at the Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service website, www.mainefuneral.com