Sandra Richmond

life story

About Sandra

Sandra Thomas Richmond, age 89, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 24, 2026, surrounded by the love of the family she spent her life nurturing.

Sandra (Ne-Annis, Thomas, Richmond) built her life around her four children, Todd, Lynn, Karl, and Sue, who were her pride and joy. She expressed her love through the warmth of her kitchen, ensuring everyone who entered her home felt welcomed and well-fed with her beautiful home-cooked meals and baking. She was at her happiest when she was working outside. When she was young, her family had a hobby farm in the St. Augusta area of St. Cloud. There she would spend the day outside with nature, working with the animals and tending to the fields. She continued this love well into her 80s by

raising a beautiful flower garden on her Williams Lake property. She also loved being at the lake-first with family cabins at Long Lake near Hibbing and Big Deep in Hackensack, and later at Williams Lake with her husband, George, in Akeley. Although she was never fond of the water, she found happiness watching her family commune and laugh together, safely observing from the shoreline as they swam and boated.

She and her first husband Ron, raised their children in St. Cloud MN and she was a quiet pillar of the family real estate business-managing everything from finances and tenants to the hands-on work of staining cabinets for the family apartment business in St. Cloud. In an era when women did not have many options, she took them and was a true partner in their family business. Later, she was forced to reinvent herself and decided to return to college to earn the degree she was unable to finish earlier. Moving to the Twin Cities on her own, she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a sociology degree and became a Licensed Social Worker. She devoted herself to her new occupation by working at Southside Family Nurturing Center, a therapeutic daycare in the Powderhorn neighborhood of Minneapolis. Her compassion and empathy left a lasting mark on many families. In later years, Sandra became a dedicated "snowbird," finding a second home in the warmth of Arizona to escape Minnesota winters. She and George enjoyed many years together in Green Valley, and more recently, she found peace and community in Oro Valley. Whether in the desert or at the lake, she found her greatest happiness in the simple presence of those she loved.

As a grandmother and great-grandmother, she provided a sanctuary of unconditional love and laughter. She absolutely adored her grandchildren and remembered the lessons she received from her own grandmother, Millie Annis: to impart love and affection in all instances. Her boundless compassion extended to her animals; she shared a special bond with her cats, Cuddles and Gabriel. Gabriel was named because she felt he was the "angel" who saved her. She also lovingly cared for "Peetie," a senior dog with special needs. No dog could have asked for a better mother in their senior years. Sandra spent the last year of her life at Copperfield Hill in Robbinsdale. Though such a big transition was significant at her age, she continued to make friends easily. Other residents loved her, as she was always ready to

greet everyone with a warm spirit that made people wish to “adopt" her as their own. She loved a good laugh, a family story, and a screening of her favorite movie, Young Frankenstein.

Sandra was preceded in death by her first husband, Ronald Thomas; her second husband, George Richmond; her parents, Roger and Esther Annis; her sister, Sharon; and her brother, Roger Annis Jr. She is survived by her sisters, Ricky Annis Retzlaff, Kathy Schneider, and Rise Mary (Tom) Finke, Nikki Annis and Millie Annis; her four children, Todd Thomas, Lynn Marie, Karl (Karen) Thomas, and Sue (Mark) Daniel; her step-children, Ginny Richmond (Paul) and Cathy Richmond; her beloved grandchildren, Mike (Missy) Klocker, David (Chrissy) Klocker, Kendra Thomas, and Kiefer Thomas, Jordan (Diana) Daniel, Emily (Timmy) Ernst, Sophie Daniel; many great-grandchildren; and a large circle of nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

She will be remembered for her warmth, her quiet strength, and a legacy of kindness that will live on through all who knew her.

memorial service

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Crescent Tide Cremation Services