Sandra R. Basch

Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, she attended Washington University where she met and later married Bernard (Buzzy) Basch of Winthrop, MA. After a year on a Jacksonville naval base and having their daughter, they moved to Sandi's adopted hometown of Boston where they later had a son.

She and her family lived in Winthrop, Swampscott, and Quincy before eventually settling in Westwood where they lived for many years.

She was married to the late Bernard Basch for 25 years and spent her later years with her partner Saul Purcell, a Florida optometrist, until his passing. She became a real estate broker and founded Basch Realty in 1974 and she was later joined by her daughter and then her son in the business. She then moved to Somerville, MA where she continued her brilliant real estate career during which she brokered many major transactions. She loved working with students and faculty at Harvard and MIT (especially the Sloan Fellows) and always went the extra mile in helping international students settle into the area.

She was a firm believer in a firm, confident handshake and was known to have one of the best in real estate history (as an early cellphone adopter she needed a strong grip to handle the earliest models).

Known as "Cookie" to her friends, she loved swimming, convertibles, musical theater (The Muny, St Louis) and opera (especially Pavarotti). She was warm, friendly and really enjoyed meeting new people. She had a great sense of humor, had a special affection for dogs and could also play the piano when the mood struck. And she always enjoyed a nice dinner at the S and S Deli with her family.

She was beautiful inside and out and had a great sense of fashion. She loved hats and scarves and was always impeccably dressed.

Sandi was a business woman through and through, but nothing was more important to her than home and family: fireside chats with her son, exploring new restaurants and clothing boutiques with her daughter, and doting on her grandson. She is survived by her daughter, Sharon Basch and son, Marc Basch both of Somerville, her cherished grandson, Cameron Linehan of Allston and her niece, Linda Whitman of Overland Park, Kansas. She was pre-deceased by sisters Marilyn Herman and Betty Esstman both of Florida and her parents Ida and Abe Radman of St. Louis/Ukraine. She was 87.

Graveside Service at the David Vicur Cholim Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury, MA, will be held Thursday, January 4 at 2 pm. Please join us in a celebration of her life at the Westin Hotel, 70 3rd Ave. Waltham, MA 02451 on Thursday, January 4th between 3pm and 6pm.

In lieu of flowers please donate to: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org) Foundation for Metabolic Cancer Therapies (https://foundationformetaboliccancertherapies.com) Levine Chapels - Brookline (617) 277-8300 www.levinechapels.com