Born in Durham, North Carolina, Sandra Myra-Kay was the beloved daughter of Mack Lloyd Timmons and Myra May Rayburn. She grew up in Charleston, Mississippi, where she graduated from high school before continuing her education at Prairie State College.
Sandra lived a vibrant and accomplished life. She began her career as a stewardess with Eastern Airlines, proudly embracing adventure and travel during an exciting era of aviation. Throughout her professional life, she held management roles and later worked in Admissions for the University of South Carolina. She valued education deeply and continued learning throughout her life, believing that exploring new ideas was as essential as food itself.
But above all her professional achievements, her greatest goal was much simpler and far more powerful: to live with compassion, grace, strength and independence — just as her own mother had taught her and to pass this to her daughter.
Sandra was full of laughter, songs, and joy. She tried to make the most of each day and helped others do the same. She loved her family dearly and never turned anyone away. Much like the example she cherished from her mother, she welcomed everyone into her home and into her life, making even the most unlikely or overlooked feel seen, valued, and loved.
She believed deeply in equality and personal dignity. She respected others but would never accept being made to feel lesser. She carried within her the quiet strength of someone who knew her worth. In a speech she once wrote, “As a person, I accept only the equality of all human beings.” That belief guided her life. Her intelligence, strength of character, and generous heart shaped everyone around her. She was always there to give guidance to anyone who needed it and most of all her daughter Christy Myra-Lynn.
Sandra often said the greatest compliment she could receive was to be told she reminded them of her mother. Today, the same can be said of her — her spirit lives on in the generations she shaped, from mother to daughter and beyond.
She is survived by her daughters, Christy Myra-Lynn Parkins and Sheila Dickerson; her son, Michael Dees Jr.; her grandchildren, Taylor Simmons, Garrett Dees, Jack Dickerson, Alex Dickerson, and Owen Dickerson; her great-grandchildren, Calvin Simmons and Lillie Simmons; her sisters, Kathy Gorgone and Myra Timmons; her brother, Danny Timmons; her nephews, Jeffery Timmons and Anthony Gorgone; and her niece, Danielle Smallwood.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Myra Rayburn; her father, Mack Lloyd Timmons; her brother, Mack Timmons Jr. (Lanny); and her husband, Michael Don Dees.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 18 at 11 a.m. at Church of Christ, 20259 Hwy 25, Columbiana, Alabama 35051.
Her legacy is one of love, resilience, intelligence, and fierce compassion.
