Sandra S. Terrell

Feb 11, 1939 -

June 14, 2020

Sandra Terrell, 81, passed away peacefully on June 14, 2020, at Abilene Regional Hospital in Abilene, Texas, surrounded by her family. The cause of death was acute pneumonia. She was born in Hobbs, N.M., to Gordon and Olena Smalley. In her early childhood her family moved around Texas due to her father's work as a pipeliner. Her family settled in Seguin for her high school years, before moving to Abilene where she attended Abilene Christian University for two years. In her early 20s she was working as a receptionist at Treanor Equipment in Abilene when she met her future husband, James Terrell. They were married in 1961 and moved around Texas during the early to mid-1960s for Jim's work until Jim decided to go back to college and finish his music education degree. During this time her three children, Tracy, Tim and Melissa, were born. After Jim finished his degree in 1971, they moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where Jim worked as a high school band director and Sandy worked as a secretary for the Anchorage School District. They returned to Abilene in 1992, after retiring and moved to Buffalo Gap in 2004. Sandy was preceded in death by her parents. She leaves behind her husband of 59 years, Jim; her children, Tracy and husband Jim, Tim and wife Tanna, Melissa and husband Ken; grandson, Blake Adham and wife Briana; grandaughter, Bailey Ibarguen and husband Josu; stepgrandchildren, Weldon Johnson, Nina Windgatter, Alexander Johnson and Thaddeus Johnson; great-grandchildren, Bode Adham, Easton Ibarguen and Weston Ibarguen; her sister, Lana Miles; numerous friends in Anchorage and Abilene; and her beloved dog, "Peaches"; and cats, "Kitty Boy" and "Bubba Grey." She was a good wife, mother, grandmother and friend. As her children noted, "having a good mom is like winning life's lottery, and we clearly did." At her request she was cremated, with memorial services planned later in both Abilene and Anchorage.