Sandra Burkle

Sandra Willette Burkle, wife, mother, grandmother and friend, passed peacefully in the presence of her loved ones into her Father’s arms on Monday, July 24, 2023. She is preceded in passing by her father William A Wall and her mother Anne (Richards) Wall. Her legacy lives on through her loving husband of 47 years, Gilbert, children Rene’ (Bill) Ruff, Jack (Marci) Heathman and Wendy (Rusty) Swick, her grandchildren Joshua (Natasha) Burkle, Ember Tolbert and Luke Swick, and her great grandchildren, Draeke , Paxton and Lillian. She was gifted 3 bonus granddaughters, Danielle, Theresa and Shawna along with 7 bonus great grandchildren. Sandy was born in Orlando Fl, and spent most of her younger years in Spokane, Washington. She met Gilbert in 1975 and his job would take them to numerous states. Her final move was to the small town of Safford, Arizona to be closer to her cherished family. Through all her life she enjoyed every second, all the ups and downs were a learning experience for her. She was dedicated and loved her family beyond measure. This includes all of the “children” she picked up along the way. She was full of gifts for all, gifts of listening, caring, laughter, empathy, mercy, faith, compassion and unconditional love. She was a cheerleader, a counselor, a sounding board, and protector. She loved fiercely and was equally determined. She was passionate about music, singing and dancing, she was the life of every party. From bartending in her parents Steakhouse to holding a highly regarded role such as Hospice Coordinator, she stayed true to herself, pulling herself up by the bootstraps through all the obstacles of life. She was an extremely sociable woman, with abundant hugs for everyone. She had appreciation for the finer details of every one person’s life. Her experience, strength and hope can be heard as it rings through every soul that she has touched and graced with her presence. Her soul burned bright, and she consistently exemplified life to the fullest. Her love and compassion are something we should all strive to achieve, if not mimic. In her memory, hug (and do it often with no boundaries), love thy neighbor, have deep and meaningful conversation with a friend, do something to engage in the human act of love, make a donation to a charity of your choice. We should follow in her lead, and rejoice in the light of the day, and in the fire that burns within each of our souls, that fire being life itself. The family has chosen to have a celebration of life at a later date. 1 Corinthians 13: 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.