Alexander "Sandy" Bodecker

1953 - 2019

- Sandy Bodecker, Nike's legendary VP of Special Projects, died of natural causes on the island of Abaco in the Bahamas on October 2, 2018.

Sandy was born Alexander Weld Bodecker on March 5, 1953 in New York, New York.

He was the eldest child of Niels Mogens and Mary Anne Weld Bodecker. He lived, with his two younger brothers Torsten and Niels, in their apartment on 96th Street in New York until 1961 when the family moved to Westport, CT where they all resided for the next 8 years. As a child, Sandy attended Coleytown Elementary and Junior High School, and his sophomore and junior years at Staples High School. In 1970 Sandy moved to Dublin, New Hampshire to live with his grandparents, Edric and Gertrude Weld, where he spent his senior year at ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough. After graduating high school, Sandy attended the University Of New Hampshire in Durham where he studied Kinesiology. While there, Sandy already an avid runner, started wear-testing running shoes and keeping detailed journals of their performance for a little known company called Nike. Shortly after graduation, he joined Nike in their product testing and development lab, and the rest is, as they say, "history".

Sandy was creative, inspirational, had a big heart, and a wonderful sense of style. He had an enormous shoe collection that started well before his career at Nike. He loved patterns and color and always wore a fresh pair of kicks, Nike's of course, and a rare t-shirt that only he had.

He was extremely competitive and loved sports, especially fishing and soccer. He was also an excellent skier. He enjoyed traveling, photography, art and culture. But most of all, Sandy loved music. All genres, his favorites being "Blues" and "Jazz". He eventually recorded an album with his longtime friends under the band name "The Nameless".

In the last years of his life, as he prepared for retirement, he devoted himself to philanthropic work with The Children's Cancer Association's Rock RX, and his vision for the NM BODECKER FOUNDATION which was established in 2017 as a tribute to his father, the award winning author and illustrator N.M. Bodecker, who instilled a love and appreciation of the arts in Sandy and his two brothers. Sandy's chosen career path and significant professional accomplishments were directly impacted by his father's support, encouragement, and artistic influence.

Inspired by this profound legacy, the Foundation's workshop, mentoring, and scholarship programs empower creative youth to imagine and achieve their artistic, educational, and professional dreams.

Donations in his memory can be made to:

NM BODECKER FOUNDATION

2360 NW Quimby,

Portland, OR 97210

There will be a Monadnock area celebration of Sandy's life June 22, 2019. For more information please call 401-274-2199.