1. Sandy Jean (Anderson) Purvis

October 3, 1950 – October 2, 2026

Sandy Purvis never met a stranger. Children, animals, and people she'd known for five minutes all found their way to her, and more than a few strangers told her their life stories. She had a joyous laugh, a quick wit, and a signature sign-off for ending conversations: "That's all the news that's fit to print."

Sandy passed away on October 2, 2026, in Tampa, with her husband and family by her side, after a courageous fight with leukemia. She was 75, one day shy of her 76th birthday.

Born October 3, 1950, in Winchester, Virginia, to Ward Eugene Anderson and Stella DeHaven, Sandy grew up between Winchester, Virginia; Vincennes, Indiana; San Antonio, Texas; Washington, D.C.; and Falls Church, Virginia, and loved every summer spent with her grandparents. At Falls Church High School, she marched in the band, joined the Keyettes, and served as Marshal and Honored Queen of the International Order of Job's Daughters.

At 18, she fell in love with a handsome man she met through the Bell System, and he stayed by her side for the rest of her days. Sandy and Stephen married on May 30, 1970, at Graham Road Methodist Church in Falls Church, Virginia; they raised their daughter, Kelley, in Virginia Beach, then moved to Lakeland in 1985. In 56 years together, they saw the world by land and by sea. Her favorite beach was Klein Bonaire in the Dutch Antilles, and her favorite place on earth was Moosehead Lake, Maine, where she celebrated her final birthday surrounded by family and friends in the Northwoods she so loved.

Sandy also broke ground in a field few women entered in her day. Over 43 years with the Bell System and AT&T, she trained as an electrical technician and telecom engineer, rose to central office supervisor, and collected numerous awards for excellence along the way.

Sandy loved music of every kind, from show tunes to bluegrass to the Mamas and the Papas, and her family fondly remembers her singing along to her favorite records, filling the house with music and warmth. She also loved a good chicken Alfredo or filet mignon. Most of all, she showed her love by being a steady, wonderful support to the people who mattered most to her.

Sandy is survived by her husband, Stephen; her daughter, Kelley Purvis Johnson (Scott); her grandchildren, Ryan and Emily Johnson; and her beloved furry grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Family and friends are invited to a Memorial Service and Celebration of Life at 11:00 a.m. on November 7, 2026, at Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, 3350 Mall Hill Drive, Lakeland, Florida 33810, with a reception to follow at Huntington Hills Golf Club, 6925 Hermitage Dr, Lakeland, FL 33810.

Sandy would want to thank everyone who celebrated life with her and those who lifted her up throughout her cancer journey.

That's all the news that's fit to print.