Sandra L. Chaput

SPARKS, Nev. - Sandra Lee (Deschenes) Chaput, beloved wife of Gilbert N. Chaput, passed away suddenly March 17, 2015, in Sparks.She was born in Salem, Mass., April 4, 1941, to Armand L. and Aina B. (Johnson) Deschenes. Following graduation from Salem High School and Colby Junior College, she worked for State Street Bank in Boston, Sylvania Lighting Products in Danvers, Mass., and General Electric in Hooksett. She met her husband on the ski slopes of Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire and they were married five months later on May 4, 1968. Over the course of their married life, Gil's career took them to homes in Lawton, Okla.; Manchester, N.H.; San Jose and Gilroy, Calif.; Mahwah, N.J.; Dix Hills, N.Y.; and Morgan Hill, Calif.; before they retired to Sparks in 2007.When the passage of Proposition 13 decimated school libraries throughout California, Sandy stepped in as a volunteer librarian and kept the Glenview Elementary School library in Gilroy operational over the six years her son and daughter matriculated there. She co-owned Yorktown Scribes secretarial services in Gilroy, retiring when Gil transferred to New Jersey in 1993.Sandy enjoyed traveling, accompanying her husband on several business trips to Europe, including a memorable trip to Goteborg to trace her mother's Swedish roots. Her favorite trip was when she hosted a weeklong excursion in Hawaii last year for her children and grandchildren. An avid bridge player, she greatly enjoyed weekly games with neighborhood friends.She is survived by her husband; their daughter, Carrie Lee Howell and her husband, Bill, of Sparks; their son, Jeffrey Gilbert Chaput and his wife, Sandra, of Brentwood, Calif.; her brother, Peter J. Deschenes and his wife, Susie, of Littleton, N.C.; her mother-in-law, Laurette I. Chaput, of Manchester, N.H.; and grandchildren Logan Howell, Ryne Howell, Kassandra Chaput, Veronica Chaput, and Samantha Chaput.A celebration of her life will be held in Gilroy at a later date. No flowers please! The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to The American Heart Association.