Visitation: No prior visitation.
Service: SATURDAY, June 26, 2021: A Mass of Christian Burial and Celebration of Sandra’s Life will be held at 1 pm at St. Gregory the Great Church, Williamsville. DOUGLASS – Sandra M. (nee Mokrzynski)
On June 24, 2020, Sandra, beloved
wife of Harold O. Douglass, Jr., loving
mother of James Patrick (Marybeth
Sodini) Douglass, Kathryn (Michael)
Manley and the late Michael Andrew
Douglass, died after more than seven
years of progressive illness and
complications. A Mass of Christian
Burial and Celebration of Sandra’s Life
will be held on Saturday, June 26, at 1
PM at St. Gregory the Great Church,
200 St. Gregory Ct., Williamsville. Born
in New Haven CT, Sandra graduated
from Skidmore College in 1957 and
joined the Dietary Staff of University
Hospital where she had been an extern
while in college. Sandra had met
her future husband while he was in
medical school, and they were married
shortly after his graduation. During
her husband’s surgical residency,
Sandra continued working at University
Hospital until early 1960 when she
accepted an offer to become Assistant
Food Editor for Good Housekeeping
Magazine. She resigned that position to
join her husband who had been drafted
to become a staff surgeon at the U.S.
Army Hospital at Fort Sill, OK. After
discharge, they moved to Connecticut
and her husband was appointed as
Assistant Chief of Surgery at the
Brooklyn NY V.A. hospital. They moved
to Williamsville when Harold joined the
Surgical staff at Roswell Park. Sandra
worked to raise their three children and
in partnership created a loving home.
She attended all kinds of activities for
all three children including baseball,
soccer, football, and ice skating. An
advocate for the success of her children
and friends. With children in school,
Sandra became active in Maple West’s
PTSA, and led the fight for a traffic light
in front of the school, negotiating with
the Town of Amherst, Erie County,
the State of NY, and finally with the
Williamsville Board of Education (to
relocate the school’s driveway to Maple
Road to a position directly opposite
Old Lyme Dr., a condition the State
had placed on approval of the traffic
light). That traffic light probably saved
the lives of a number of Maple West
students. In later years, Sandra was
active in the Gourmet Committee of the
U.B. Women’s Club and the Twentieth
Century Club. Loved by family, friends
and her three grandchildren she will
be missed. Sandra instilled strength
and a can-do attitude in her children,
allowing them to take on their dreams.
A passionate supporter of friends
and neighbors for every activity. She
loved the theater, dancing, cooking,
travel, and crossword puzzles until
years of prolonged complications of
health issues progressively limited her
mobility. She has now been received
into the arms of our Lord. Arrangements by
DIETRICH FUNERAL HOME, INC.
Online condolences may be shared at
www.TheDietrichFuneralHome.com