Sandra Kondo

“Anything is possible.” That is what Sandra Kondo believed about life. She was a creative woman, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting her. She had faith in her ability to find those solutions. Sandra thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. She possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. Sandra was a person who believed that she could achieve whatever she set out to do.

      Sandra was born on March 15, 1951 at Oshawa General Hospital in Oshawa, Ontario. Her parents were Jim and Muriel Mitchell. Sandra was raised in Oshawa, Ontario. She showed her ingenuity even as a child. When she was confronted with a problem, Sandra could develop an imaginative solution, and she derived satisfaction from knowing she had that ability.

      This same talent for finding solutions had a positive bearing on Sandra's family relationships. Sandra was raised with six siblings. She had four sisters and two brothers. When a difficult situation or dilemma arose within the family, Sandra was always there to help figure out a solution for making things work.

      As a young girl, Sandra could be found building and inventing new and different things. She was curious, resourceful and interested in anything original. Sandra took part in baseball. In her spare time she loved to go camping.

      On August 1, 1997 Sandra exchanged wedding vows with Darcy Kondo at Centennial United Church of Oshawa, Ontario. Sandra was adept at devising original and creative ways to enhance and improve the marriage partnership. Sandra was seldom a critical person, but rather the one who was able to bring out the best in others. Sandra was an entertaining conversationalist who was quick to respond to her spouse’s needs. She was a vibrant personality and she enjoyed verbally sparring with Darcy. In fact, those who knew her often remarked that Sandra loved to argue for argument’s sake. She was very perceptive in recognizing others’ feelings, especially regarding Darcy's.

      Sandra's remarkable talent for being inventive influenced her relationship with her children. She would create original, clever and fun games for her kids and had a knack for finding ways to make everyday events, even chores, enjoyable to them. Sandra was blessed with two children, one daughter Jodie and one son Jason. She was also blessed with two grandchildren, Taylor Bierema and Emma Brennan and extended family grandchildren Kenny and Matthew. Someone who was quick to laugh, Sandra found it easy to spend lots of time with her children, but she was never overbearing or guilty of pushing herself on them.

      As a born inventor, Sandra was definitely in her element in her work place. She could easily create new and innovative systems, and incorporate those changes to bring a fresh approach to any work situation. Sandra was a focused worker with a strong drive for achievement. She could assess all of the options before her and, using her analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. Her personal initiative inspired those around her. Sandra was always good at getting a project started and then, at the appropriate time, handing it on to a colleague. Her primary occupation was in food service - she loved to cook and feed the soul. She was a caretaker her whole life. Sandra always made an effort to be a team player, doing what needed was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Sandra's passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for her. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Sandra was always searching for new and unusual activities, she developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things she became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew her, but most friends and family understood that Sandra simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. Her favorite pursuits were painting and crafts - she was very creative.

      Faith and religion were important to Sandra. During that time, she was very generous with donations to Salvation Army and United Way as well as Christmas Baskets to the less fortunate.

      Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Sandra. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for Sandra to expand her ever-growing inventory of knowledge. Favorite vacations included spending family time with her loved ones at the cottage.

      Sandra was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Some of Sandra's favorites was her beloved dogs "Saidy" and Shadow" as well as her cats. They were best friends for around 10 years. Her family was rounded out by her bird named "Moe".

      Sandra passed away on December 15, 2009 at Lakeridge Health - Bowmanville. She died peacefully in her sleep from a heart attack. She is survived by her parents, her children, her grandchildren and her husband. Services were held at Oshawa Funeral Home Chapel.

      During her lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Sandra. She met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. Sandra was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around her could not. For Sandra, the traditional way of doing things fell short of her expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Sandra Kondo, the fun of living her life could be found in the challenge.