Sandra Gayle Eastwood

1941 - 2023

Sandra Gayle Dowden Eastwood was born June 9th, 1941 to Dora Jean Mathias Dowden and Milton Elmo Dowden at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital, San Marcos, Texas. She attended San Marcos Public Schools graduating in 1959. She then attended Southwest Texas State College (now known as Texas State University). She was Baptized, confirmed and married at the American Lutheran Church on Hopkins Street, San Marcos.

She grew up in an all-boys neighborhood riding bikes, playing baseball in a vacant lot, playing cowboys and Indians, having chinaberry fights, and climbing trees. At about the age of twelve, a girl her age moved into the neighborhood and now she could play with dolls and have plays on the front porch. She took piano lessons and was in many recitals and auditions. She spent time during several summers visiting her cousin Nancy in Copperas Cove, Texas and her cousin Gloria in Topsey, Texas. When visiting in Topsey, she would attend vacation bible school at Immanuel Lutheran Church which was located at the foot of a mountain near Topsey with a lighted cross on the mountain. For many years, she would attend the annual July 4th Mathias family reunion on the Lampasas River near Topsey where family members would camp out and swim in the river. She also spent many hours at Sewell Park and Rio Vista Park on the San Marcos River and was a member of the royal guard during her high school years. After Aquarena opened in San Marcos in the 1950's, she dreamed of becoming an Aquamaid in the shows at Aquarena. She would have her sister hold one end of a garden hose at the bank of the river while she would go underwater and practice breathing through the hose. When she was fifteen, she applied and became an Aquamaid at Aquarena. While attending college, after her classes in old main, she would walk down college hill to the river where one of the glass bottom boats would pick her up and take her across the river to the submarine theater where she would perform as an Aquamaid. She would perform underwater picnics and ballet for the Aquarena submarine theater audiences. She would also perform with Ralphie the swimming pig and Glurpo the underwater clown. She has always said this was the best job she ever had.

After her marriage to John Eastwood in 1961, She resigned from Aquarena and moved to Irving, Texas where John began his career as a Structural Engineer. Sandra became employed at Deluxe Check Printers in Dallas in the billing department. She was employed there until 1971 at which time she resigned prior to the birth of her first child, Vanessa, to become a full-time mother and housewife. She later gave birth to her second child, Gregory, in 1973. In 1974, her husband John founded his own company in which Sandra became active as Secretary and Public Relations for the company.

Sandra has always been an animal lover and had many cats and dogs as companions throughout her life. Her favorite pets were Taffy, a Cocker Spaniel dog she had while in high school, Scratch, a Turkish Angora cat, and Tinker Bell, a Silver Swirl Tabby that she had when her children were young.

Sandra was very active in many organizations in Irving including the Irving Newcomers Club, Irving Symphony League, Las Colinas Women's Association, A Card Club of 30 years, Plymouth Planters Garden Club where she won many awards, Good Shepard Lutheran Church, a life member of the Irving Heritage Society, and a volunteer at her children's schools. She developed many special friendships within these organizations, but there was one group that became more like family than friends. Beginning in elementary school, Sandra and nine of her classmates bonded together and called themselves "The Crew." It consists of Kita Hyatt Rutherford, June Gunn Smith, Ann Scrutchin Cauthorn, Sue Frady Bawcom, Dotty Damon Hord, Bettie Giesen Green, Vivien Rasjidah Franklyn and Betsy Campbell Norwood. "The Crew" continues to be involved in each other's lives and meet periodically to share memories, life adventures, and true fellowship with each other.

One of Sandra's favorite pastimes was traveling with her family. Some of her favorite destinations were the Texas Coast, Spain, and especially the California Coast. After the children were grown, Sandra and her husband would alternate trips to Southern California and Northern California. In Southern California they would spend time in the Temecula Valley, and along the coast at Dana Point and La Jolla. In Northern California they would spend time at Big Sur, Carmel By The Sea, San Francisco, and in Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Dora Jean Mathias Dowden and Milton Elmo Dowden, Her mother-in-law Fannye Lou Burks Eastwood, father-in-law Corydon Mead Eastwood, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is survived by her husband John Eastwood, daughter Vanessa Hickey and husband Todd, son Gregory Eastwood, sister Dianna Tupa, granddaughter Lauren Hickey, grandsons Cameron Hickey and Landon Hickey and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Service arrangements will be provided by Pennington Funeral Home, 323 N. Comanche St., San Marcos, Texas. Memorial service will begin at 10:00am on Friday, May 19, 2023, in the funeral home chapel followed by a graveside service at the San Marcos City Cemetery at 11:30am.