Sandra "Gigi" LaVigne

Family: Born Sandra-Lou Isabella Humphrey on December 22, 1935 to Perry Cable and Jesse Marie Humphrey. This completed the family, as they already had an 8 year old son, Lawrence. Although there was a pretty good age difference, Lawrence and Sandra were very, very close all through their lives. At the time he took his last breath in 2000, Sandra was standing next to his bed holding his hand.

School: Sandra attended Landon and graduated in 1954. While there, she met and became immediate friends with a girl by the name of Carolyn Kober, who had moved to Jacksonville with her family from New Jersey. Sandra and Carolyn became best friends and that incredibly close relationship lasted over 57 years. Sandra and her husband Clifford were godparents to Carolyn’s two boys, just as Carolyn and her husband Joe were godparents to Sandra’s daughter. They were so close that when they spoke on the phone (which they did almost daily), Sandra would unintentionally pick up on Carolyn’s thick New Jersey accent and start sounding just like her! This continued throughout their friendship until Carolyn passed away in 2010.

Memberships: Sandra Humphrey was the first female member of the Civil Air Patrol in Jacksonville. Among other duties, she taught cadets Morse code and could still identify older planes as they flew overhead, sometime naming them just by their sound, yet the only time in her life that she was around aviation was during her time in the Civil Air Patrol in the early to mid 50’s.

As a teenager, Sandra also belonged to the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (Temple Assembly No. 46), a part of the Masonic fraternity. Her father and brother were both Masons and members of the Southside Lodge. In the early 70’s, she then joined the Order of the Eastern Star (America Chapter No. 124). In 1975, her daughter also followed in her footsteps and became a member of the same Rainbow Girl Assembly that she had belonged to. She served twice as Worthy Matron of America Chapter and then once as Worthy Matron at Roy Stanley Chapter in Dallas, Texas.

Marriages: Sandra literally married “the boy next door” – a young Canadian by the name of Clifford Hopkins, whose family had moved to Jacksonville from Hamilton, Ontario. Clifford was also a member of the Civil Air Patrol and after graduating from high school on one day and marrying Sandra the next day, it wasn’t long before he left for the Air Force. At the end of his initial enlistment, Sandra was pregnant with their first (and only) child – but circumstances in Vietnam required that he either enlist for another four year minimum and get sent overseas or “get out now”; so when Sandra was 8 months and 3 weeks along in her pregnancy, she had to find a civilian doctor as she no longer had access to the base. Thankfully she found a doctor to take her in, and within days, her daughter, Lori was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital.

As does often happen, their marriage did not last and they divorced in 1963. Clifford immediately moved to Roanoke, Virginia where he remarried and lived until his death in 1978. In the meantime, Sandra had remained friends with another fellow Civil Air Patrol member, a young man by the name of Don LaVigne. She always said that Don was her “one true love”. After her divorce from Clifford, Don and Sandra became closer. They eventually married in 1971. Partly due to “excess baggage” from his previous marriage, they divorced in 1975, yet remained friends. In 1982, Judge Hudson Oliff, who had married them the first time and then granted their divorce, also performed their second wedding when they decided to “try it again”. Unfortunately Don died of a heart attack just 15 days later. Sandra remained a widow the rest of her life.

Work: Sandra had a variety of jobs initially (as we all do) but found continuous work as a Kelly Girl. Due to her skills, she was always kept busy and sent on their best jobs. In the 60’s, she went to work at Gulf Life Insurance Company on a temporary assignment and they ended up hiring her on as a permanent employee. Here she made many friends, some of which became life-long friends.

One of the most significant friendships was with Carole Davis. Both ladies had daughters, just 6 weeks apart in age: Sandra - daughter, Lori and Carole - daughter, Rhonda. As fate would have it, although they met at work, it turned out they lived in the same neighborhood in San Marco! In fact, Rhonda’s grandmother lived across the street from Lori’s grandmother. Sandra and Lori lived next door (to grandmother) and Carole and Rhonda, lived around the corner. The girls started school together at Hendricks Avenue Elementary; both families even lived in the same Lakewood apartment complex for a time; then both moms married and relocated to different parts of the city. Ironically, years later, both girls ended up at the same high school, graduated together and had an “after graduation party” for both families at Carole’s home.

Ten years later, although living in Dallas, Lori planned her wedding to be held in Jacksonville (so that family and friends could attend). Rhonda was engaged and wanted Sandra to cater her wedding while she was in town, so it ended up that the two girls were married just one week apart in April 1989. A year later, Lori would give birth to a son in Dallas, and Rhonda gave birth to a daughter in Jacksonville – just 6 weeks apart! Sandra and Carole remained close friends for approximately 47 years, until Carole passed away in 2010. However, both families still keep in touch.

In 1985, when Republic Life (and then American General) bought Gulf Life out, Sandra was asked to relocate to Dallas – they needed her to train the new department being set up there. She would only go if her daughter would go with her. So on July 31st, just three weeks after the request was made, Sandra and Lori drove out of Jacksonville, off to experience a new life in Texas. Just hours after arriving in “Big D” on August 2nd, Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashed on approach at DFW airport. (This was the same flight that Sandra had taken several times while visiting Dallas on business before relocating there.) This obviously shook them both up and initially, when there was a call for blood donors, Sandra and Lori, although brand new in town, found Parkland Memorial Hospital and waited four and a half hours in line to give blood. At that point, staff came out to let everyone in line know that the death toll had been so high, they had way more blood than was needed. Of 11 crew members, 152 passengers and 1 person on the ground (a total of 164), sadly, 135 died that day.

The company eventually was bought out and became Anthem Insurance. The restructuring cost many people their jobs. Sandra was offered early retirement and officially retired in August of 1991.

Grandmother: In April 1990, Lori was blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Sandra “voted” for the name Brian (this would have been Lori’s name if she would have been a boy) and in honor of the Grandmother-to-be, it was selected to be the baby’s name and we welcomed Brian Gilson to the world. Being a grandmother became Sandra’s life – her world revolved around Brian and his mom. But she didn’t necessarily want to be called “grandma”. Her friend Carole was called “G” by her grandkids and Sandra loved it. So she asked to be called “G” as well.

After returning to Jacksonville in September 1991, Brian was just 18 months old and Sandra wanted a hobby that would be “cool” to do with her grandson as he grew up. She had always wanted to be a clown and visit children in the hospital and bring smiles to little faces, so she joined the Gator Clowns. From the beginning her intent was to include Brian in her visits and activities, so when she was asked to select a “clown name” – she wanted something that would always identify her, not just as a clown, but as Brian’s grandmother… the name “GiGi” was born. Added to her last name of LaVigne, it had a very French flare, but in all honesty it was just an easy name for Brian to say as he was learning to talk and it stuck!

Lori, being a “Type A Personality/Workaholic” and Sandra, being the recently retired, “stay-at-home/what else can I do at 55” type, agreed that “GiGi” would become Brian’s daytime caretaker while Lori was at work. This was a true blessing as it allowed for their relationship to grow, but also assured Lori that he would be well taken care of, albeit maybe a little more spoiled than he should have been (“but that’s what grandmas are for” she’d say).

GiGi became very popular with all of Brian’s friends and they all loved GiGi too. Sometimes, when she’d pay the others “too much” attention, he would get mad and tell his friend(s) – “that’s my GiGi – not yours”… but in all honesty – she loved them all. Kids would come to the house and she would fix them soup – Lipton’s Chicken Noodle Soup – but something about the way she fixed it made it better than anyone else’s… soon it became known throughout the neighborhood as “GiGi Soup”. To this day – it is called that – by scores of people – even GiGi called it “GiGi Soup”!!! (Hmmm, I wonder if Lipton would consider renaming it in her honor? After all, she’s bought thousands of boxes of it!) Standing next to the bed, holding her hand just minutes after she passed, Brian said, “Now who’s going to make me GiGi Soup?” And can you imagine my delight when I saw this on Facebook: April Allen: You know what I remember most about gigi??? She used to make some soup when we were little. GiGi soup. Sindy Lou: that she did!

But soup wasn’t all that she was known for… oh no! One of the other “memorable dishes” she made for the kids was Rice-a-Roni. Just something about the way she did it. Numerous families were introduced to our family favorite because of GiGi. Several of Brian’s “best buds” - specifically Quirino (“Q” for short), Cody and Adam (aka “Wiley”) would always want to know when was GiGi going to make Rice-a-Roni… sometimes, they’d even beg for it!! Finally Q’s grandmother – known to us as Nanny – asked GiGi “what in the world is it?? It’s all he talks about!”

GiGi never thought she live long enough to see Brian grow up – her family all died young. After she outlived her brother (the actual number of years and days) – we gave her the title of the “Longest Living Matriarch of the Family”. She was Brian’s ONLY grandparent, as both of his father’s parents were gone and so were both of Sandra’s husbands, but I can guarantee you that he got the same amount of love – as if he had 100 grandparents… there were days I think she got out of bed JUST to see or talk to Brian.

He was her hero – not just in her heart, but in reality as well. In 1997, I had been doing some remodeling work in her home and had some ¾” plywood and ½” sheetrock leaning against the wall at the back door. Before she went to bed, she went in to the Laundry Room (where these items were) to put some clothes in the washer, and somehow in moving around, she bumped the stack of construction materials and the plywood and sheetrock fell against her and pinned her in a somewhat seated position between the washer and dryer. She was totally helpless, stuck in that position with a couple of hundred pounds of materials pinning her down. Fortunately most of the weight was supported by the washer and dryer, but there was no way for her to get out, as it had to be lifted off of her first.

As was customary, as soon as Brian woke up, he’d jump on his bike and head over to GiGi’s house, just down the street from ours, to see what she had for him to eat (i.e., to get her to fix him something – you know food at grandma’s house is always better than food at your own house!) When he got there and she didn’t come to the door he was concerned (mind you, he was 7 at the time). Apparently she heard him knocking and tried to yell out to him, but she was so parched from yelling and being in that position (and crying) all night long, her voice was hoarse and low.

Being persistent, he worked his way around the house, knocking on the walls and windows and probably trying to peek in the sliding glass doors. He finally heard her hollering out to him (imagine that, she knew who would be knocking on her door that early!) She told him to go get me and he raced back to the house yelling “come quick, GiGi’s hurt!” We were able to lift the plywood and sheetrock off of her, releasing her from the hole she’d been trapped in for about 11 hours, and fortunately she was OK – but she always gave credit to Brian for saving her life.

She was so proud of him and loved to watch him play baseball from age 6 through high school. In 2002, when his team made it to the State Playoffs in Key West, all but one kid on the team bleached their hair blonde/white or dyed it blue (our team colors). Brian wanted to go blonde and as a show of support for the team, even GiGi and I bleached our hair blonde as well. However, being naturally dark brown, the three of us actually came out looking orange!!! In all the pictures, without helmets, you can spot Brian a mile away… amongst the white and blonde headed kids on the field, he was the one with “peachy” blonde hair!!

There are so many other great stories, but in the end, no words could ever truly describe the pleasure she got from being Brian’s grandmother.

Mother: Likewise, there are no words that could ever described how blessed I have been to have Sandra as my mother. We have always been extremely close (“she stubs her toe; I feel the pain” close). I remember Grad Night at Disney in 1979, I got injured on a ride and I was unable to breathe -- to the point I thought I might die … and I was very terrified. After I returned home the first question out of her mouth was “Are you OK?” I looked at her (funny-like I guess) and she furthered explained that about 2:18 a.m. she woke up from a dead sleep and had a horrible feeling that something had happened to me. After an hour or so, the feeling went away and she was able to go back to sleep, but was still concerned. I nodded my head, sat her down and told her about my accident – which occurred at approximately 2:15 a.m. … just before she woke up.

Things like this happened many times during my life, and not just when something bad happened. Sometimes she would have a feeling (or know) when something good or exciting had happened to me (or vice versa) even before we got to speak to or see each other (example: she’d win at bingo and I would know it before she told me). In other words, as a kid I could never hide or lie to her about anything – she’d see right through that!!  It was also common for us to pick out the same type of clothes or gifts for each other at Christmas or any other gift-giving time (we exchanged gifts for every little reason!), it was as if we had shopped together! In fact, currently in her closet are at least four long night gowns exactly like four of the ones hanging in my closet. When we met people, we were often asked if we were sisters, and a few times (when we were younger) asked if we were twins! Honestly, we probably wouldn’t have been any closer if we would have been.

When I married my high school sweetheart in 2009 (after having not seen each other in 30 years) she gained a son-in-law… however, to her, he was just a “son”. She quickly fell in love with Jimmy and adored him, bragging about him to customers, doctors, store clerks - whoever would listen! His family became “her family” as well and she’d tell others “for the first time in my life, I have a big family!”

Family Business: When I got into the “trophy” business, after I had been in a serious car crash (another night she woke up in the middle of her sleep), it was because I needed to work for myself based on my physical limitations at the time. I basically started selling trophies from the trunk of my car to baseball teams that we knew from the parks where Brian played. Through referrals and persistence, the business began to grow and she jumped right in there with me to learn it and work it and never once did she complain about not getting paid! She delighted at the opportunity to go to a trade show (like going to a candy store) and helping design and create some of our signature products. One of her “proudest” moments was at an Open House event a local vendor had. They had various “tasks” and games for us to do to earn sample kits, products and gift cards. One of the competitions was Who Could Build a Trophy the Fastest. When she won, they deemed her the “Fastest Trophy Maker in Jacksonville”… a title she proudly bragged about even years later!

As we grew and expanded, she had more and more contact with the customers and being able to sit and chat with them and seeing their pleasure when they picked up their order just made her happy. The relationships that formed and friends that were made over the course of the last 11 years truly touched her and she held those people dear in her heart.

One customer (Thank You Bracy Taylor) gave her the opportunity to attend her first Jaguars game, even though she was in a wheelchair. He was so gracious to invite us to join him and some other friends (also customers) (Thank You Sharon Grant) in the private Clubhouse he had available. Not only did she get to see a game “live”, she got to experience it in high style and luxury!! It truly was a memorable experience for her and she never forgot the kindness shown to us that day, and during every visit when they come to the store.

She was always truly in awe when someone would ask about her when she wasn’t in the shop. She never thought she made a difference or that she was “special enough” to be remembered. This was because she was so humble, yet our business would not exist today if not for her – the support, the labor, the love the she put into it was so much more a part of our success than she would ever believe. Even our Fed Ex, UPS and other delivery people notice when she’s not around and always ask about her. Our customers have been incredible and generous (Drea, Axie, Mantha and Ed Phillips – we love you!) in times of personal need – like after our house fire… speaking of which - a special shout out also to Quirino, who spent his vacation here from Tennessee on his 21st birthday, helping us relocate to a hotel after the fire and moving GiGi’s room twice! Love you Q!

Customers who would keep an eye on GiGi and the shop when I wasn’t going to be in (thank you Lee Stephens), sent Birthday cards and gifts to her (thank you Marci & Kent Larson) and I could go on and on… there are just so many times when customers (we call them friends) made a point of doing something sweet for her and acknowledging how special she was. Never once did Michael Arthur ever call our shop that one of his first questions wasn’t “How’s GiGi?”

There are just so many people to name and I certainly don’t want to leave anyone out… each and every one of you was special to her, but I would never have enough room to name everyone who came in with treats, hugs or just a good story and GiGi loved every one of you. As I sit here and write this, more and more people come to mind and I realize that there must be a limit for space which would prevent me from continuing to name everyone personally – but you know who you are and please know in your heart that GiGi (and I) appreciate everything! If she missed a few days at the shop, she’d get antsy and start asking about what was going on there, is there anything she could do from home, who came in today (and then get frustrated that she missed them!). Just know – each of you now have a new angel looking over you!

Closing (finally!): GiGi was such an amazing woman. She twice beat cancer – once in 1987 (renal cancer – which was her father’s cause of death) and then again in 2006 she overcame breast cancer (her grandmother’s cause of death). She was strong and grounded and taught me such valuable lessons. We shared laughs, tears, joys and fears. She was my rock and she supported me in everything I wanted to do (no matter how crazy the idea). She will be terribly missed – but I know that she’s with friends and loved ones and that we will be together again. In the meantime, she’ll be watching over us all.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and learn about my mother. I’d love to keep writing – there’s so much more to say about her. But if you knew her, you already know what a terrific lady she was!

“Remembering GiGi with Love”: Please join us for a casual Covered Dish Get-Together in her memory on Sept. 17th from 1 - 4 p.m. at the family business: Award Depot & Promotions, 6299-5 Powers Ave., 32217.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her name to The Donna Foundation, 1015 Atlantic Blvd, Suite 144, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233. (this is Donna Deegan’s foundation to assist local women with breast cancer). You may also donate at the website: http://thedonnafoundation.org through PayPal, but they said there may not be a place for the “in memory of ” name. If not, you could follow up with an email to the foundation (see Contact Us button on the website) to make sure it gets attributed to Sandra “GiGi” LaVigne. This will be the only way they can let us know about the donation. Thanks again.

Lori Rudd