Sandra S. Bittenbender

Sandra S. Bittenbender, 81, formerly of Waban, Lexington, Cambridge, and Natick, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on the morning of August 11, 2025.

Born on November 5, 1943, in Buffalo, New York, to Sara (Cram) and Robert Bittenbender, Sandy's life was shaped by curiosity, intelligence, and a love of words. She grew up in Waban, Mass. and later graduated from Lexington's Minuteman High School. She went on to study biology at Tufts University, graduating with the class of 1965, and remained an active member of her college class, cherishing lifelong friendships from her Tufts years.

Following her education, Sandy moved to New York City, where she worked in research at Rockefeller University. Returning to Massachusetts, she continued her work in scientific research at Boston Children's Hospital and Pfizer. Later, while living in Cambridge, she took pride in supporting local politics through her work at polling stations and at the Cambridge Count, where she was part of the city's famously meticulous hand-counted ballot process. In time, Sandy followed her passion for the written word and turned it into a career. Working as a proofreader for medical textbooks and contributing as a columnist for local newspapers she took pride in seeing her words in print. Her eye for detail, appreciation of knowledge, and love for expression touched every part of her life.

Sandy is survived by her daughter, Constance (Hedberg) Ferguson, and son-in-law, Brian Ferguson; her cherished grandchildren, Olivia and Jackson Ferguson; and her brother, Robert Bittenbender, and sister-in-law, Margaret Huber.

Services will be held on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Episcopal Parish of the Good Shepherd, 1671 Beacon Street, Waban, MA 02468, followed by burial at Newton Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Boston Children's Hospital or to the Episcopal Parish of the Good Shepherd, Waban.