Sandra Evelyn Hanstead

Sandy passed away quietly with her family by her side at Pinecrest Home for the Aged. Sandy was born to Elsa & Algot Schroder on Oct. 23, 1945 and died at the age of 81 years young on her birthday.

Sandy worked hard all her life. She attended Lakewood High School, and her favourite and most satisfying job was working at the Keewatin Medical Centre. Her welcoming smile and knowledge of medical issues helped many of the people that came there.

Sandy loved the great outdoors and her partner Terry Slaney made sure she got to enjoy as much fishing and hunting as she was able to do. Sandra always knew where bottom was (reel up 3 turns and catch a fish) and out fished anyone in the boat. Terry came every day to visit her at Pinecrest, took her out on weekends and made sure she was enjoying herself right to the end. Since she was a young girl Sandra just loved to dance and spent many hours at the Kee Wat Inn and later Terry made sure that dancing happened as often as she was up to it. She always talked about the time Bill Richards played at the Lakeshore Hotel in Keewatin every Friday and she & Terry would whirl around the dance floor with her sisters by her side. Her children made sure her days were full of love and attention. Sandy was actively involved in her kid’s sport lives, coaching hockey and ringette. When she wasn’t coaching, she was an active fan attending whenever she could. She also enjoyed playing baseball back in the day and curled a bit as well. One of her greatest pleasures was gambling and many trips were made to casinos so Sandy could indulge in her favourite pastime. She won a big pot just once, but she always liked to share how exciting that was, and she was always going after the next big win. Sandy greatly enjoyed her vitamin C (cigarettes) and vitamin B (Bailey’s) as the staff at Pinecrest called them, right up to her last days. Family would often wheel Sandy around the Forest Lane Trail at Pinecrest, where she enjoyed the fresh air, watching the deer and keeping an eye out for other wildlife, all while enjoying her cigarettes and smiling the whole time.

Sandy is survived by her partner Terry Slaney, her children with Lloyd (Butch) Hanstead, Raymond (Michele) Hanstead and Addy, Terry (Chris) Hanstead and Tammy Hanstead. Her beloved grandchildren – Kyler (Holly), Ryan (Jill), Kira and Ethan and Jamie (Angela). Her great-grand children – Ellery & Levi, and Seth, Leni & Marley. Granny Sandy was affectionately known as granny cookie by the great grandchildren as she always had a maple cream cookie handy whenever they showed up. Sandra will also be missed by her siblings Judy (Murray) English, Lynda (Jim) Engstrom, Valerie (Don) Cook, Terry (Anne) Schroder, Barb (Chuck) Manson and Alan Schroder, and predeceased by Doug (Claudette) Schroder. Special mention to cousins Bev Warrilow & Lorraine Peterson who she shared many adventures with. As well as all the extended families.

Sandy left with a smile on her face as her parents greeted her at the pearly gates.

A celebration of life, including salt pork and dumplings, will be held on Saturday, July 31, 2027 in Sioux Narrows.

“Softly the leaves of memory fall, gently we gather and treasure them all. Until we meet again.”

We would like to thank the amazing staff at Pinecrest for the care, kindness, and compassion they showed Mom during the year and a half she lived there. The residents are truly treated like family, and we are so grateful for the attention and care Mom received from everyone. The recreation staff are especially wonderful, and Mom loved the dances, live music, and walks outdoors. We are grateful for the many ways the staff helped make her time at Pinecrest enjoyable.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Triple PLAY would be appreciated.