This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: marcenath158 Surnames: McKinney, Carradine, Sandefur, VanFleet Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newmexico.counties.donaana/5350/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Wanda "Sandy" McKinney (nee Sandefur), born on February 20, 1925 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Mildred Chew Carradine and Julian Sandefur, passed away in Silver City, New Mexico on March 29, 2011. She was pre-deceased by two husbands, Friend Cheadle Van Fleet III and John Reynolds McKinney and her son Jalal McKinney. She is survived by her children Janet Van Fleet of Cabot, Vermont, Gail Simms of Gidgegannup, Western Australia, and Sean Matthew McKinney of Belvidere, New Jersey, as well as 8 grandchildren and her companion of 20 years, Richard Fox. Sandy passed through many phases, and at each turning she reinvented herself in a lifelong quest for understanding. She was a navy wife, a medical technician, a toymaker, museum director, poet (Body Grief, 2003), critic (for The Alsop Review) and translator (of the Andalusian poet Rafael Guillen, I'm Speaking, Northwestern University Press, 2001). She studied at the Universidad Nacional de Mexico in her 30s, earned an MFA in writing from Goddard College in Plainfield, VT in her 50s and qualified for her captain's license in her 60s, operating a charter boat out of Key West, FL. She was a Baha'i, a Gurdjieffian, a Unitarian-Universalist and a Swedenborgian. Sandy accumulated new identities without ever discarding the old ones, her character growing richer and more colorful with the years. She loved to be outrageous, and she hated onions. A memorial service to celebrate Sandy's life will be held at 11 AM on Tuesday, April 5 at the New Church of the Southwest Desert, 1300 Bennett Street in Silver City. To send condolences, please login to: www.bacasfuneralchapels.com Entrusted to the care of Baca's Funeral Chapels of Silver City, Baca's Silver City Crematory, 3805 Delk Drive. Phone 388-2334. Exclusive provider for "Veterans & Family Memorial Care". Published in Las Cruces Sun-News on April 5, 2011 Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.