Sandra Ann “Sandy” West, 79, passed away peacefully in Georgetown Hospital after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. An only child from a large, extended family in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sandy lived in the Washington, DC, area for nearly 39 years, where she was a noted research statistician at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Loving wife of 23 years of the late Ron Semone, she shared with him a love of their families, dogs, salt-water coral and fish, and collectibles, among other hobbies and pastimes.
A math prodigy, having learned calculus as a young girl, she was graduated with undergraduate degrees in Physics and Math from Simmons College jointly with MIT, received her Masters Degree in Math at Boston University, and completed her Ph.D. in Statistics at Harvard. She was a professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and taught at other institutions of note. A creator of and a collaborator on numerous scholarly materials, she was known for her innovative formulas and algorithms, as well as mathematical and statistical models. Dr. West was an innovator in labor statistics and her work is still cited and relied upon in the field today.
A long-time resident of Washington, DC, Sandy enjoyed her involvement in various professional and social organizations, but was especially devoted to her family, not missing an opportunity to connect with loved ones or to reminisce about family members long gone. Sandy was known for her warmth and kindness, her clever wit and insightful wisdom, her jovial demeanor and voracious appetite for learning and endless curiosity across many subjects.
She will be missed by friends and colleagues alike, but her loss will be felt most deeply by her nieces and nephews, her cousins who she held very dear, and her companion of nearly three years, John R. Lewis.
Funeral services will be held at the Chapel at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon, MA on Wednesday, February 6th at 2PM, followed by burial.
Donations may be made in Sandy’s name to the Jewish charity or institution of your choice, or the American Cancer Society.
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