Sandra Jane O'Reilly

With profound sadness, the family of Sandra Jane O'Reilly (née Iglesias) announces her passing on February 15, 2026 at the age of 73 years.

Sandra is survived by her daughters, Erin and Brianne (Jon). She is also survived by her eldest brother, Stuart (Wendy) and their children, Ali (Jon) and Elizabeth (Jeff); her youngest brother, James (Liz) and their children, Tamzin (Stefan), John and Duncan (Nicole); and her close family friends Sabrina, Adia and Kingston. Sandra was predeceased by both of her parents: her father, John on August 5, 1981; and her mother, Margaret on October 12, 2016. Above all, Sandra cherished those she called family more than anything.

Sandra was born on April 5, 1952, in Noranda, Quebec, to John and Margaret Iglesias. With her father being a Mining Engineer Sandra grew up in mining towns in Northern Quebec (Noranda, Val’dor, Elliott Lake, Matagami, and Chibougamau). As a child, Sandra successfully saw her way through seven major operations to straighten her back, travelling back and forth from Matagami, Quebec, to Toronto Sick Kids Children’s hospital to correct scoliosis. It was during this period that Sandra gained her incredible stamina and attitude that would see her well through life. And out of this experience she decided to become a nurse herself and she went on to graduate from nursing at Sick Kids Children’s Hospital.

After graduating from Sick Kids Children’s hospital, Sandra moved west to Vancouver and pursued her further education in pediatric nursing at UBC in Vancouver. She met Lynda Robson, Sue Card, Pauline Barrett, Carolyn Hammond, Linda Mathie, and Shirley Bastion, slogging through the tough times of higher education and life. Upon completion of this degree in 1980, their strong bond could not be broken and the Stitch and Bitch group was born. They started meeting at each other’s houses every few weeks. Over the twenty-five plus years of friendship members moved away from Vancouver, but the group still remained connected. They would plan annual ladies trips to meet up which transitioned to trips to Kamloops to visit Sandra. Sandra cherished these ladies and the support they provided her through life.

Sandra started her family while living in Vancouver, welcoming her first daughter, Erin. In 1985, the young family moved to Kamloops, where she built a warm, welcoming home and celebrated the arrival of their second daughter, Brianne. A dedicated nurse by profession, Sandra made the decision to put her nursing career on hold to become a full-time parent. She poured her energy, compassion and unwavering support into raising her children. As her daughters grew, she was able to find areas to pursue her passion of sewing starting with the creation of figure skating costumes then expanding to the synchronized swimming club once they identified her skill. There are many memories of Sandra working on her next project. Sandra was incredibly proud of her two daughters, Erin and Brianne, often telling stories about their accomplishments. As a parent, she wanted to ensure they were set up to take on the world. She passed along her stubbornness, independence and sense of adventure.

As the girls moved away from home, Sandra’s adventurous spirit came back out. She was able to complete many road trips to Vancouver, Ontario and the States convincing good friends to come with her along the way. They have shared many fond memories of these travels. Sandra was fortunate to have many amazing friends, but Sabrina, Adia and Kingston became family to her. She formed an incredible bond with Adia and Kingston and was so incredibly grateful to have them by her side. Sandra was strong, independent and a caretaker at heart. She wanted to live life through laughter, memories and lifting those up around her. If you were a friend of Sandra's, you felt like family.

A celebration of life will be determined at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations be made to the Chris Rose Therapy Center for Autism.

Services are entrusted to Schoening Funeral Service.