Sandra Hutchins Lee

1961 - 2019

LEE, Sandra Hutchins Sandra Hutchins Lee was a wonderful person. Her death at the age of 58 was a shock. She had only started feeling ill a few weeks ago, initially thinking that she was suffering from food poisoning. Sandra had undergone an uneventful physical a few months earlier and yet died less than a week following tests that determined she was suffering from extensive cancer that had metastasized. She was not afraid to die, but her untimely death is extraordinarily sad, given her love for life. "It's been quite a party," a quote from the show Lonesome Dove, is an apt summary of the life that she embraced fully. She has enriched the lives of all those who came into her sphere. Born June 4, 1961 to Peggy Miller and Tom Hutchins in Columbia S. C., she was the youngest of two children. She died on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at her home in Lago Vista, Texas. Sandra studied photojournalism at the University of South Carolina and given her lifelong love of music she also studied at the University's school of music. She ultimately decided to enter the health profession, graduating in 1980 from Midlands Tech in Columbia. She worked in the operating room for 27 years, first as a surgical tech at Lexington Medical Center and after moving to Tennessee, she worked as a surgical tech/ortho neuro specialist at St. Thomas hospital for 14 years. She retired 13 years ago when she and her husband, Tommy Lee, moved to Texas for his work as a specialist at WJE, a global engineering consulting firm. Given her interest in music, for many years, she happily assisted Tommy in his passion for rock music, running sound for his band, Tommy Rebel and the Rockerfellas. She also played bass in the band, Earthquake Ballet. Sandra was devoted to her family and was a romantic at heart, keeping her mother's favorite dress and her father's favorite coat, both of whom passed away some years ago. She was profoundly affected by her parent's separation when she was 11. She only fully came to terms with her parent's divorce when she met Tommy 13 years later; their mutual love was the cure she had previously lacked. She was also shaken by the loss of her mother which was exacerbated by the sacrifices she had made in caring for her during her mother's long illness, especially the time off from work and the excessive number of six-hour trips from their two homes. Sandra was a strong person always desiring to do the right thing, even when it was tough. For example, her mother was very concerned with being artificially kept alive. She trusted Sandra to be her health care agent. In the end, Sandra made the hard decisions. Sandra never had children, but she epitomized the essence of motherhood in her relationship with her stepchildren. She loved her life in Lago Vista, surviving the hot and humid summers, the windy winters and the debilitating "cedar fever" from the abundant Ashe juniper pollen. Even the snakes never stopped her from tending her garden and taking her dog Lyndon on long walks and runs around Lake Travis. In recent years she took up complex coloring which allowed her to more easily achieve mindfulness. She is survived by her loving husband of 29 years, Tommy; her step-son Seth Thomas (son Everest); her step-daughter April Kersey (daughters Kera and Kelsie); her sister-in-law-law Jeannette Duperry (son Michael Jr.); her brother-in-law Guy Lee (wife Frankie and daughter Stefanie Suddeth); her brother Michael Hutchins (wife Teresa, their daughter Emily Peroni (husband Everett and children Braydon and Isabella), their daughter Sydney Alankar (husband Amit), their daughter Phoebe Griffin (husband Brendan), and their son Jacob Hutchins); her step-mother Jeanette Hutchins (daughter Laura). She is survived by other family members, including in-laws and cousins too numerous to enumerate. Her family misses her tremendously but are grateful for all the time they spent with her. Her passing has left a hole in their hearts that hopefully time and companionship will partially close. A memorial service will be held at Lakeside Christian Fellowship, 1923 American Drive, Lago Vista, Texas on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 11:00 am.