Sandy Birtwistle

Dr. James Sanderson "Sandy" Birtwistle, 86, passed away peacefully in Houston, TX, on August 24.

Sandy was a kind, cheerful and gentle husband, father, businessman, and friend. He lived in a perpetual state of gratitude for how his life had unfolded, and would speak often of his good fortune, particularly of his loving wife and family.

Sandy was born to parents James and Hannah Birtwistle of Lancashire, England. At age three he and his twin brother, the late George MacDonald "Don" Birtwistle, faced the death of their father, but soon after their mother remarried Wilfred Cooper, a beloved "second father" who dedicated himself to raising the boys as his own.

Sandy was an alumnus of Kings College London and University College, Oxford, where he earned his PhD in Chemistry. He then moved to the United States in 1962 to pursue post-doctoral research at Stanford University. While in California he met Linda Nurnberg of Los Angeles, and after a courtship he proposed to her on the Golden Gate Bridge.

While in the Bay Area, Sandy began his career with Shell Chemicals, beginning in the laboratory before rising to business management in New York. In 1970, Shell moved its headquarters to Houston, where Sandy relocated. He retired from Shell in 1997 after a successful career of 33 years. Missing his early days of chemistry, he then volunteered for 19 years with a lab team at MD Anderson to pursue cancer research.

Sandy loved working in his garden, classical music, photography, and rooting for his hometown Burnley F.C. He was an avid runner and tennis player in his younger years, and in later life developed an impressive hiking record - including the Inca Trail, Kilimanjaro, and a two-week cross-country trek across Northern England at age 76. He was very proud of his English heritage and amused phone callers with a British-accented greeting: "Good evening, Birtwistle speaking."

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Linda, his two children Brian and Monica Birtwistle, and his two grandchildren Lucy and Sam Birtwistle. He will be deeply missed.

Remembrances may be made to the Alzheimer's Association to fund research at alz.org.