Sandra Christine Dodson

1950 - 2018

Sandra Christine Dodson (nee: Dirda), 68 years of age, a resident of Amherst, passed away on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at her home surrounded by her family, following a courageous battle with cancer.
She was born April 21, 1950 in Lorain, where she was raised and graduated from Admiral King High School with the class of 1968. After marriage, she and Gary moved and resided in Brownhelm for ten years before moving back to Amherst where she resided for the last twenty-four years.
Sandy received her higher education at Bowling Green State University where she earned her bachelor's in education. She was a teacher for 40 years, spending over twenty of those years at Lorain County Joint Vocational School in Oberlin where she taught English. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Amherst. Always selfless, Sandy enjoyed shopping for gifts for her family and friends, forever on the lookout for something she thought they would enjoy. Sandy loved making memories with her family in her second home in Las Vegas and traveling around the country. She treasured being outdoors, planting flowers and spending time in nature with her family. Sandy loved the Brownhelm community, and she enjoyed making jam from the raspberries and mulberries she picked on the family's Brownhelm farm. She spent time serving the community in her family operated Dairy Stop convenient store in Vermilion Township. Sandy was a wonderful grandma and spent much of her free time with her three "little princesses" taking them to the library, movies, Target and reading to them. Devoting her time to her family was by far her greatest joy. She is greatly missed by them.
Among those who will cherish Sandy's memory is her husband of thirty-six years Gary R. Dodson; her son Gary R. Dodson, Jr. (Charity) of Amherst; her daughter Niki D. Kingry (Darin) of Plain City, Ohio; her grandchildren Elle, Brynn and Brooklyn Kingry; her brother Michael (Marion) Dirda; her sisters Pamela (Rick) Susanjar of Lorain and Linda (Kelvin) Gerhart of Solon, Ohio.
She was preceded in death by her parents Michael and Christine Dirda (nee: Burcl).
Friends may call Monday September 3, 2018 from 4-8 p.m. at the Hempel Funeral Home; 373 Cleveland Ave., Amherst. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church; 200 St. Joseph Drive, Amherst. The Rev. Fr. Timothy O'Connor, pastor will officiate. Burial will follow at The Dodson Family Cemetery, Brownhelm.
For those unable to attend please visit the funeral home's website to share a memory and sign the guest register, www.hempelfuneralhome.com.