Sandra Lee Broaddus O’Donnell of Edenton, NC died in Palm Coast, Florida after a difficult but short battle with a brain tumor.
Sandra was born on June 10, 1944 in Richmond, Kentucky at a time when her father, a paratrooper, was fighting in Europe. She grew up an Army brat living in eight states, Japan, Okinawa, and Germany.
Shortly after her Father’s retirement in 1962 she entered the University of Florida and in her freshman year, met her future husband John O’Donnell.
They both graduated in 1965, Johnny went off to Law School and she started her work career as a public relations assistant at Lockheed Aircraft Georgia.
Johnny and Sandy were married in Georgia in 1967 and moved to Maryland.
Over the years, Sandy would work as a department store china buyer, a retail store assistant manager and at McCormick Spice Company.
Although she was accepted to study at the Maryland Institute of Art, she decided she would stay home and start a family.
Her first child John (Jody) was born in 1973 and Patrick in 1975. After several years, Sandy went back to work taking a part-time job at Baltimore Hospital. The last of this work was coordinating private duty nurses at Union Memorial Hospital.
Much of Sandy’s time was also spent enjoying and helping all of her family whether their names were O’Donnell, Broaddus, Edwards or Ambrose. Many hours were spent watching Jody and Pat competing in baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming and football.
Sandy loved dogs and she adopted many who needed homes.
After working part-time, Sandy decided to begin a career in real estate. She began selling resale homes for several Baltimore broker’s, and then went on to a 13-year career selling new homes for Richmond American.
Sandy retired from real estate and Johnny as the Executive Director of the Maryland State Ethics Commission and they moved to Edenton, NC in 2005.
Once retired, Sandy enjoyed sewing, knitting and crafting hobbies, and was an occasional guest on her son Jody’s Beach104 radio show representing the Chowan County Bureau and Mrs. Claus.
In 2018 Sandy and Johnny decided to move to Palm Coast, Florida. Their new home was completed in July of 2020 but never fully occupied.
Sandy is survived by her husband John O’Donnell, her son Jody and his wife Dawn from Jarvisburg, NC and their two children, John Patrick and Annabelle.
She is also survived by her son Patrick and his wife Stephanie and his children Daphne & August. She is also survived by her dog Roger.
Sandy was buried in San Lorenzo Cemetery in St. Augustine, FL after a mass at Santa Maria del Mar in Flagler Beach, FL.