In Memoriam
Sandra Lou Stockdale
Single mother overcame challenges, found love
COOPERSTOWN – Sandra Lou Stockdale (Sandy) passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Thursday, August 26th, 2021. She was surrounded by her loving family who made certain she was comfortable.
Sandy is survived by her loving husband of 30 years and one day, William Stockdale. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Greg and LisaMarie Morrison, Glenn and Michele Morrison, and Glenda and Matt Vatovec. She is also survived by her loving granddaughters, Emily and Abigail Vatovec and her grandsons Kane Morrison and Brett Morrison. She was predeceased by her daughter, Gretchen Miller, and her first husband, Walter Glen Morrison.
Sandy was a hard-working woman who had her fair share of obstacles to overcome in life. After losing her first husband, Walter Morrison, she became the sole caregiver to her four children. With very little means and not having had a job to date, Sandra picked herself up and took charge of getting things in order. She got her first car, worked hard to find several jobs to make ends meet, and still managed to care for her four young children. There were many tough times. One of Sandra’s favorite stories to tell is finding her family low on funds, and needing to feed her family, she was able to find 5 dollars with the help of her eldest son, Greg, and she purchased hot dogs and macaroni and cheese with which she built a meal for her children. That was just the kind of person she was, she could make a full meal out of very little.
Sandy met the love of her life, William Stockdale, in 1988. They were wed on August 25th of 1991 in a beautiful ceremony in Mount Vision. Sandy and Bill were inseparable. They met and worked together at the Clark Sports Center. They shared several hobbies including fishing, playing cards, and watching westerns. The best parts of her day were spent with her husband, in fact, when Bill worked the overnight hours, she would stay on his schedule, so that they could sleep during the same hours and be with each other as much as possible. They loved sitting for long hours, holding hands and talking. They had a love that was tender and patient. Bill was Sandy’s primary caregiver in the last years of her life, and he worked tirelessly to meet all her needs.
Sandy had a deep love for her children. She always looked forward to receiving a phone call from them, even if they had nothing much to talk about. Many conversations would be spent reminiscing about the past, talking about the weather, and of course, a check-in to make sure everyone was okay. Sandy always called her children and left the same voicemail, “Hi honey, it’s mama, love you.” She also deeply loved her grandchildren and enjoyed hearing their stories about school and the books they were reading.
Sandy will be deeply missed by all those who knew her and loved her. She expressed her wishes for flowers in the final hours of her life. Her services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 25th at the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery under the care of Connell, Dow and Deysenroth. Her services will be officiated by Pastor Matthew Marlow. A remembrance celebration will be held in Sandy’s honor at 318 Bice Road in Cooperstown after the services. In lieu of flowers, you may make donations in honor of Sandra Stockdale’s memory to the Cherry Valley Emergency Squad or Springfield First Responders.