Sandra "Sandy" Black
Sandra "Sandy" Black Obituary
Sandra “Sandy” Black, age 90, returned to the loving arms of our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ on March 17, 2025. She was surrounded by her loving family. She succumbed to complications due to Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Sandy was born May 25, 1934, to Esther V. Humphreys and Linton A. Haughawout in North Bend, Oregon. She grew up in the Coos County, Oregon, area until age 12 when her family moved to Los Angeles.
At age 18, Sandy attended St. Vincent’s College of Nursing in Los Angeles and at age 21 graduated as a Registered Nurse. This was her profession for 40 plus years. She worked in hospitals and doctor’s offices.
In 1956, she married Byron Finley and they had three children: Wendy, Daniel (deceased), and Michael. They had three foster sons: Jim Scott, Vance Bowers and Keevin Bardouski. Byron and Sandy divorced in 1981.
In 1982, Sandy and Forest R. Black were married and added five stepchildren to her life: Darryl (Diane) (deceased), Lance (Erin), Vonn (Myriam), Landon and Rae Lynn Fitzwater (Kevin) (deceased). They added a fourth foster son: Tommy Hue. They lived in Claremont, Pomona and Ventura.
Sandra “Sandy” taught home nursing, first aid and CPR for the Red Cross and CPR for the American Heart Association. She spent more than 45 years as a Leader and merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts of America. She was presented with many awards including Wood Badge and Silver Beaver, which is the highest award given to a woman in the Boy Scouts organization. She was also an accomplished artist and was commissioned to create murals and framed canvas artwork for homes and businesses. She loved to paint so that people could have quality art in their homes at an affordable price. Portraits, barns, seascapes, landscapes, wildlife, florals; she could create art that truly looked real.
She served in many positions for her church; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She and her husband, Forest, served two missions in Chile Concepcion, one mission in Guatemala City North and several missions in California.
In 2020, Sandy moved to Tehachapi, CA, to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Wendy Finley-Blackburn and James Blackburn, who cared for her until her passing.
Sandy is survived by her children: Wendy Finley-Blackburn (James) and Michael Finley; foster sons: Vance Bowers (Susan), James Scott (Becky), Keevin Bardouski and Tommy Hue (Sonia); stepsons: Lance Black (Erin) and Vonn Black (Myriam); nieces: Heather Couch and Kristen Wilson; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and cousins.
Please make any Memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3501 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura. Burial will follow at 1:00 p.m. at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, 5400 Valentine Rd., Ventura.
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