Sandra Joy Stevenson

With fond memories and loving hearts, we announce the peaceful passing of Sandra Joy Stevenson, known to all as Sandie, of Lynnwood, Washington. Sandie passed away peacefully in her home with her niece and nephew, Deana and Dean, by her side on Sunday morning, June 28, 2026, at the age of 85, following several years of health challenges.

Born on June 20, 1941, in Seattle, Washington, she was the firstborn daughter of Margaret Elaine and Willard Roy Thornton, and the oldest of five children. She was later raised alongside her stepfather, George L. Jacobson. Sandie graduated from Lake Washington Senior High School in 1960, where she was a proud Lake Washington Kang. Following her graduation, she combined her hard work and musical talents by working for a large Seattle bakery while singing part-time in local nightclubs in the area.

It was during this lively time in her life that she met her husband, Ned J. Stevenson, who was a Petty Officer in the Navy when they first crossed paths. The couple met in August of 1962 and were happily married just six months later, in February of 1963. Together, they shared a beautiful life and celebrated 56 years of marriage before Ned’s passing from cancer in March of 2019. When Ned was placed on home hospice, Sandie compassionately cared for him with unwavering love and strength until his very last days.

Sandie was a proud and devoted Navy wife throughout Ned’s military career. Ned proudly served his country in the United States Navy for 20 years, earning the rank of Chief Aviation Machinist’s Mate (ADC) before his honorable retirement. Together, they lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, San Francisco, and San Diego, California, during his two decades of service. Near the conclusion of his military career, Ned received a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) from Naval Base San Diego to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, bringing the family back to the Pacific Northwest.

Throughout Ned’s 20-year Navy career, Sandie mastered the art of the military move. No matter where the Navy sent them, she used her creative eye to instantly create a beautiful, cohesive home—whether a small mobile home in Minneapolis or a complete home in San Diego—always ensuring the Holidays were marked with vibrant decorations, family traditions, and home cooked meals. Along the way, Sandie met many lifelong friends who still send her notes and cards.

Following Ned's retirement from the Navy, the family settled in Lynnwood, Washington, where she proudly lived for over 40 years. It was here that Sandie channeled her lifelong talents into entrepreneurship, starting her own wedding cake business in 1982 called “Sandie’s Cakes”. She poured her creativity into her home business until 1996, when she had to quit due to a shocking breast cancer diagnosis. Though diagnosed in 1996, Sandie was a fierce and proud 30-year survivor, defeating the disease and remaining in triumphant remission for the rest of her long life.

Following the loss of her beloved husband Ned, her nieces lovingly stepped forward to offer wonderful support and help with various needs over her widowed years, including the care and presence of Annette English and Joy Dragoy, two of the three daughters of Sandie's late sister, Sharon. She also held fond memories of her niece, Janette Lang, currently residing in California, loving all three sisters since they were little girls when she would happily hand sew them matching dresses.

Sandie was also uniquely blessed to have her devoted niece, Deana E. Peterson—who is the only daughter of Sandie's late brother, Bill, and his wife, Linda L.—by her side as a close helper through her final years and at the time of her peaceful passing.

Following the tragic and sudden passing in 1979 of her late sister, Georgia, the family lovingly came together to raise her young sons. Most notably, Sandie and Ned raised Dean L. Date and Bradley E. Hines as their own sons, while their brother, Tony A. English was lovingly raised by Annette and Todd English, as their own.

Sandie’s maternal love extended down another generation through Dean’s daughter, Christa Kay, whom she proudly considered her only granddaughter. She was also very proud of her numerous great-nieces and nephews.

A woman of artistic vision and taste, Sandie enjoyed creating a dynamic, pristine home. She was passionate about making memories as well as being the keeper of memories, holding a deep love for family photographs. Sandie treasured generations of family history, carefully collecting precious pictures. Showing her fun and playful side, she was an avid collector of Betty Boop memorabilia, curated a special Barbie collection, and absolutely loved to decorate for the Holidays, which included crafting grand, gorgeous, themed arrangements with silk flowers for every season to bring festive cheer and color to every room in the house.

Sandie was a complex woman who deeply needed to create beauty and be surrounded by beauty. From her artistic cake designs and silk floral arrangements to her meticulously styled home, she aspired to bring order and flare to her surroundings. She applied that same care to her own appearance, viewing her clothing, makeup, and hair as an outward reflection of her nuanced identity. Even during cancer treatments in the 1990s, she chose flattering wigs of various lengths and styles.

While it was no secret to those who loved her that Sandie often accumulated a surplus of clothes, makeup and household items, those closest to her understood that this abundance was never about mere materialism. In a world that could feel unpredictable, collecting these things was her way of seeking comfort, security, and a sense of personal control over her own story.

Though Sandie was often a private woman who found it difficult to express affection in words, her true love language was gift-giving and her hands spoke beautifully for her. The hand-sewed dresses for her nieces when they were little, the home cooked meals for her husband and children, and numerous personalized greeting cards for every sentiment remain a timeless memory and a lifelong tribute to her love, a permanent reminder to us all of how deeply she truly cared.

This devotion to her family never faded, she had an exact map of her family milestones in her mind, never failing to remember a birthday or anniversary. Even into her senior years when arthritis made her hands ache with pain, she never stopped putting greeting cards in the mail, each one reliably signed with 'SWAK' (Sealed With A Kiss)—a reflection of her sentimental nature. She pushed through her discomfort just to ensure the people she loved received a tangible reminder that they were on her mind.

She shared a close relationship with her surviving brother-in-law, John Stevenson, and John's wife, Sally. Her sister-in-law, Linda Overman (Stevenson), as well as her sister-in-law, Linda L. Thornton, with whom she remained connected following the passing of her brother, Willard Royal "Bill" Thornton, in 2016.

Sandie made a lasting impact on her many beloved nieces and nephews. She also held a special place in her heart for her half-sister, Bonnie, whom she was glad to finally meet later in life. And she could always count on her best friend, Brenda Brink to be by her side when it mattered most. Sandie will be deeply missed by the many loved ones she leaves behind.

She is preceded in death by her doting husband, Ned J. Stevenson; her sisters, Sharon L. Cooper and Georgia K. Jacobson Date; her brothers, Willard R. "Bill" Thornton and Stanley D. Callan; her mother and birth father, Margaret and Willard; and her stepfather, George L. Jacobson.

An interment service will be held at Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills in Lynnwood, Washington. She will be laid to rest alongside her husband, Ned, in the beautiful Azalea Garden section of the cemetery. This final resting place brings her journey full circle, allowing her to rest peacefully in the very same garden as her beloved mother, her stepfather George, her little sister Georgia Kay, and her brother Bill Thornton.