Sandra Lila Parker

Sandra (Sandy) Lila Parker (née Einhorn) was born April 19, 1941 in Providence, Rhode Island to Florence Einhorn (née Silberman) and David Einhorn. She was the youngest of five children. The oldest, Ernest (Ernie) was 19 years older. Then followed Charles (Charlie) and her two sisters: Dorothy (Dotti) Lewis and Zelda (Salty) Leatherwood. The three sisters remained especially close throughout their lives and would refer to themselves as "The Three Weird Sisters."

When Sandy was 8 years old, the family moved to Gainesville, FL and then a few years later to Daytona Beach, FL. She largely grew up in Daytona Beach and as they were closest in age,she and Salty would "pal around." Sandy was very proud of her sisters; Dotti was known as the "smart one ," Salty was known as the "pretty one," and Sandy was known as the "sweet" one. She would say, "I LOVED living in their reflected glory."

Quiet, modest, and sensitive from a young age, Sandy showed extraordinary compassion. She loved helping people and animals. She could not even bring herself to kill insects.

After graduating from Seabreeze High School, Sandy attended college at Daytona Beach Community College. She found her true calling, however, when she became a ward clerk at Halifax Hospital in the psychiatric ward. She absolutely loved that job; these were some of the best days of her life.

Sandy worked at the hospital with two of her best friends, Jean Shafer and Nita O'Neal and they decided to move to Atlanta. There she met George M. Parker, who she would later marry.

Sandy and George dated for a year and then married at a justice of the peace as it was an inter-faith marriage (Sandy was Jewish and George was Christian). A year later, their daughter, Victoria was born. Three years later, George opened an accounting practice. One more year later, their son, David was born.

After a while, Sandy began helping her husband run the accounting practice, George Parker and Associates. Her warmth and kindness was felt by all of their clients - as well as everyone who was in their building.

As a mother, Sandy was warm, giving, extremely patient, and extraordinarily fair. If her children were sharing a can of Spaghetti-os, she would patiently count out and divide up the meatballs. On holidays, each child would receive the same number (and dollar value) of gifts. Both of her children's friends loved Sandy; and Sandy loved them.

Sandy had a big heart and loved helping people and was the least materialistic person on the planet. She never bought things for herself. Early in their marriage she would buy three yards of fabric for a dollar and make sack dresses for herself. She would literally wear her shoes until holes appeared. Yet she would take her children to Woolworth's to eat, even if she wouldn't order anything for herself. Anyone who had a sad story, even if not directly asking for help, she would find a way to help - even if it meant that she did without. She always gave out full-sized candy bars to children at Halloween, and after her husband died, she made sure she was at home to give out the candy. She actually worried about the children she did not know being deprived of one home's candy. Every one of the family's cats or dogs were strays that found their way to Sandy. While Sandy enjoyed giving directly, she loved anonymous giving the most. She believed it to be the highest good to give with no expectation of reward, and she considered a "thank you" as a reward.

No matter how many problems she had, Sandy worried about other people's problems more. She had such empathy - she always put herself into another's shoes. Race, sex, religion, sexual orientation meant nothing to her; truly, it was the person inside which mattered.

Victoria later married Sean Sheldon, and they produced her only grandchild, Andrew Sheldon. She delighted in being a grandmother, and the only time anyone heard this modest, unassuming and self-effacing woman brag was regarding her grandson. The two of them had a special bond where they would play in a world of imagination and create marvelous stories together.

In 2010, her husband, George died of a massive heart attack while he was driving the two of them to work. One to be dependable no matter the circumstance, Sandy finished all outstanding work, closed the office and sold the business while mourning the loss of her husband of nearly 41 years.

So concerned for other's welfare, it was easy to overlook how much pain Sandy was in chronically. She had no cartilage in either knee or shoulder and her mobility was severely limited. Unfortunately, her final days were punctuated with even more pain with two gastrointestinal bleeds and stage 4 breast cancer which metastasized to the bone. Kidney failure was the final cause of death. The one saving grace of her passing is the end to the horrible suffering she (uncomplainingly) endured.

Kindness is the legacy of her life. Her sister Salty would say that "Sandy is the best person I know." Sandy's one wish for her children was that they be kind. "Thank God I have kind children; I don't know what I would do if I had a mean kid."

Unfortunately, we must say "goodbye" to a woman who truly was an angel on this earth.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Project Care https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCareInc , a non-profit started by her sisters and run by her nieces helping the mentally ill and homeless where 100% of donations go to the recipients.