Sandy Hicks

1941 - 2026

Sandy Hicks
03/07/1941 - 03/26/2026
Dr. Sandy Burton Hicks was born on March 7, 1941 in Tulare, California to Grace Rita Wilhoit Brown and Burton Robert Hicks. He grew up in the San Lorenzo Valley, including Felton and Boulder Creek, and Santa Cruz, where he attended Holy Cross High School, followed by Saint Mary's College in Moraga. He worked on the Santa Cruz Beach boardwalk for the Whiting family every high school and college summer, where he met Jeanette Stanley, another Holy Cross graduate. Sandy was drafted into the Army in 1963 and eventually sent to Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. Sandy and Jeanette were married in Santa Cruz in 1964. After his discharge from the Army, he attended graduate school on the G.I. Bill at UC Santa Barbara and obtained his Master of Arts and PhD in the history of Medieval England and Normandy. Sandy and Jeanette moved to Kingsville, Texas in 1971, where they raised their children, Michelle and Paul. Dr. Hicks taught History and Political Science at Texas A&I University, now part of the Texas A&M system, for 21 years. He was awarded the Faculty Lecture in 1983 and served on the Faculty Senate and as chairman of the Political Science Department. After leaving Kingsville, Sandy and Jeanette spent several years in Mobile, Alabama, where Sandy taught at the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science and the University of South Alabama before moving to San Francisco in 1997.
Sandy enjoyed teaching and traveling. He loved giving his students the tools to make better decisions in life. He had an encyclopedic knowledge not only of the history of Western Civilization but also of many types of music, especially classical. One of his joys late in life was guessing the KDFC-FM daily Mystery in History quiz.
His participation in high school basketball and football led to softball, tennis, skiing and golf later in life. He loved golf, though he never had a hole-in-one. He was an avid sports fan, especially for Bay Area teams and his children's alma maters. He was a life-long learner who didn't suffer fools. He was open to other points of view, but had no patience for hypocrisy or ignorance. Sandy possessed wide-ranging knowledge in a pre-Google time and remained curious and interested in the world and others throughout his life.
Sandy celebrated his 85th birthday with family and friends in the city he loved. He felt more at home in San Francisco, the place and the people, than anywhere else on Earth. He is survived by his wife, Jeanette, his children, Michelle and Paul, and his brothers Michael (Terry), Tim (Linda) and Robert (Lisa), along with their families. At his request, his ashes will be scattered overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, and all are invited to raise a glass in memory of good times. The family appreciates the compassionate care provided by the VA, Care in Touch, FirstLight Home Care and Suncrest Hospice.