Obituary of Sandra Gail Gustafson

Sandra Gail (Heieren) Gustafson, age 82, went home to be with the Lord Jesus Christ on January 16, 2023, from Olympia, Washington.  She passed away due to cardiac arrest.

Sandra was born in Montevideo, Minnesota, on September 13, 1940, to Stanford and Genevieve Heieren.  The family relocated to the greater Seattle area after an employment opportunity arose for her dad to work for the Boeing Company.  

Sandra graduated from Renton High School in 1958 and subsequently from Pacific Lutheran University in 1962, earning her BA in Education and becoming a teacher; she was endorsed to educate grades K-12 and taught English.  She attended classes at the University of Washington towards her Fifth-year Teaching Certification.  Sandra had much recognition in educational years.  She enjoyed writing, with a fondness of poetry; acting; and was elected to an award-wining Dramatic Fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega.  Sandra had a beautiful singing voice and was a musical vocal performer trained in piano.  She loved animals, especially horses.  She was a skier and an athletic runner and long-jumper, which earned her track and field awards.

Sandra taught school for many years in the Seattle School District and was a homemaker raising their three children.  In mid-life, she went back to work as a franchise co-owner with her husband, employed as a Tax Deferred Annuity counselor, and retired with the State of Washington after earning Accounting Certification.   Active in her community as a passionate educator, she was also the PTA President of two elementary schools, an Art Docent for Olympia Public Schools, and was also a volunteer reading tutor.

Sandra was involved with the Church of the Living Water in a variety of Bible studies, always encouraging others and walking closely with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  She earned a Para-Professional Counseling Certificate at Evergreen Christian Center.  She was always impressed to be a witness for the Lord and was involved in women’s prison ministry for several years. 

Sandra met Roger Gustafson at PLU and they were married at Renton Lutheran Church on June 19, 1965.  Both were deep and intellectual; they shared an interest in many topics, including the love of Native American history, the Wild West, politics, nature, animals, gardening, and long drives in the countryside.  Both were deep, had wonderful senses of humor, were interested in serving the community, and strived for excellence in service to others in their Christian witness.  Early in their marriage, they enjoyed travel throughout Europe, including Scandinavia and Russia.  In their later years, they travelled extensively throughout their favorite states of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. 

Sandra and Roger are survived by their three children, Carla Morin, Jan-Erik Gustafson, Annika Gustafson-Michael; and grandson, Alec Morin.
 

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