Dr. Robert Edward Sandstrom

Dr. Robert Edward Sandstrom, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, entered into eternal life on Thursday September 25, 2025. Dr. Sandstrom, (“Robert” to his family, “Bob” to his friends) was born at his grandparents’ home in Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire, England on April 4, 1946 to Colonel Edward Sandstrom, USAF, and Ena (Rilatt) Sandstrom. As the first of six children, he arrived in the U.S. as an infant, traveling by ship with his mother across the Atlantic to New York, then by train to Edward’s hometown of Portland, Oregon. This journey marked the beginning of a lifetime of travel and adventure that brought Robert to far reaches of the globe many times over.

Robert attended Holy Redeemer School in North Portland where his intellect and nascent debating skills challenged the Catholic nuns tasked with teaching him. This family parish and its church, which was built by his grandfather, Frederick Sandstrom, would remain dear to his heart as his spiritual home for life. Robert’s love of academic pursuits, be it in the sciences, language, or history, flourished at the then-new Jesuit High School in Portland. He graduated in 1964, having made lifelong friends of faculty members and classmates alike. Robert spent his first year of college at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington and graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, in 1968. He then attended the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington, obtaining his medical degree in only 3 years (1971). Dr. Sandstrom completed an internship in internal medicine at Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Sick Children’s Hospital. His medical training continued at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts with a residency in anatomical and clinical pathology, and a fellowship in clinical pathology. Dr. Sandstrom served in the U.S. Public Health Service, receiving a meritorious service medal as a Lieutenant Commander.

He and his wife Regina (Charlebois) established their home, and he his medical practice, in Longview, Washington, in 1980. They were blessed with three daughters - Karin, Ingrid, and Erica - who they loved fiercely. Sadly, Regina succumbed to cancer early in their parenthood journey together. Family and friends, most especially his parents Ena and Ed, joined forces to support Robert and his beloved girls going forward.

Dr. Sandstrom dedicated himself to serving patients and colleagues in Longview and surrounding communities, providing pathology services at St. John’s Hospital in Longview and at other medical facilities in outlying areas in both Washington and Oregon. Countless lives benefited from his expertise over his decades of service. While practicing pathology, he also earned a Master’s in Business Administration at University of California Irvine and a Master’s in the History of Science and Technology at the University of London. His relentless quest for knowledge led to a visiting research fellowship at the Wellcome Sanger Center for Genomics in Hinxton, England, and a visiting membership at Darwin College, Cambridge, England. He held several patents for medical devices. Of late, his scientific and professional efforts were passionately focused on “Triplet State Technology,” the company he founded to develop and implement the use of magnetic fields to enhance radiation therapy in cancer treatment.

Robert loved life and lived it fully physically, intellectually, and spiritually. He was blessed to find a partner in his beloved wife Lisa (Day) who could match his energy for adventure, learning, and global exploration. Robert’s travels could fill a book. He took his then-school-aged daughters on a road adventure through Scandinavia, the Baltics, Russia, and Poland in 1994. With Lisa, carrying their own gear, he walked the entire 485 mile Camino de Santiago, starting in 1999 in Arles, France, walking The Way of St. James for 10-14 days each trip, and arriving in Santiago de Compostela in 2013. Together, they subsequently walked the route up the northern coast of Portugal (2014), and The Ingles route from the UK to Santiago (2024). Most recently, he and Lisa returned from a month-long exploration of India in March this year. He summited mountains including Rainier and Aconcagua and sailed to Bermuda through a horrendous storm with his friend and brother-in- law Peter. He was an avid fisherman (the hobby that brought him and Lisa together) and dearly loved being outdoors in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. Robert found great pleasure in good wine, a good meal, and sharing these joys with others. These experiences were made even better when he found a new friend in the restaurateur, vintner, or server, which happened often. Above all, Robert loved his family. He enjoyed nothing more than a house full of friends and relatives at the holidays. He was very fond of his title of Grand Uncle (Guncle or "Gunc" for short), and frequently wrote postcards from all over the world to the youngest family members. Time and distance were unlikely to pose a barrier to his attendance at your graduation, baptism, wedding, dinner party, or, for a pop-in visit to wherever you were currently residing or attending school, to treat you to a good meal and his welcome company.

Robert was committed to the Roman Catholic faith, which he spoke of as both a solace and a bulwark throughout his life. He lived his faith through regular Mass attendance, his dedication to family, his embrace of friends, his belief in the value and potential of each person, his service to patients, his contributions to medical science, and his generous support of religious, service, and educational institutions.

Robert is survived by his wife Lisa; his daughters Karin, Ingrid, and Erica; his brothers and sisters Bernard, Karl (Candy), John (Sallie), Kathryn (Peter), Patricia; and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews and god-children. Robert was preceded in death by his first wife Regina, and his parents, Ena and Edward.

Services will be held Saturday October 18, 2025, at Holy Redeemer Church, 25 Rosa Parks Way, Portland. Recitation of the Rosary will begin at 10:30 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Edward J. Sandstrom Scholarship Fund at the University of Portland.