It is with sadness that we announce the passing of one of our longest serving volunteers, Larry Sandell. He was also one of our oldest—older than dirt he frequently claimed. However, official documents contend he was merely 91 years old. The records tell us that Lawrence Alfred Sandell was born December 14, 1932 in Rochester, Washington to Alfred Sandell and Edith Strand. The record fails to mention that one hundred percent of his DNA came from Terjärv, Finland.
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of one of our longest serving volunteers, Larry Sandell. He was also one of our oldest—older than dirt he frequently claimed. However, official documents contend he was merely 91 years old. The records tell us that Lawrence Alfred Sandell was born December 14, 1932 in Rochester, Washington to Alfred Sandell and Edith Strand. The record fails to mention that one hundred percent of his DNA came from Terjärv, Finland.
Larry was a proud Swede Finn and loved sharing his heritage with visitors at SFHS. More than a few of them were surprised to find that the silver-haired volunteer showing them their family history was also their cousin. Larry’s main volunteer duties were assigning call numbers to library books and shelving them. From building shelving supports to “innovative” shelf organization, he did it all for years.
Larry loved good food, traveling, the opera, and his family. He also liked to talk. Occasionally, after volunteering, we would go to lunch at one of Larry’s favorite restaurants—I suspect, so he could tell me stories about his family and traveling while enjoying a delicious meal. He told me of Mediterranean cruises, travels with grandchildren, a Christmas trip to Stockholm, his children’s accomplishments, and of a grandchild that will likely become president. He told me of a life of adventure, connection, and meaning. I heard some of his stories so many times they have become my memories. That was Larry’s gift. He told stories, mingling his memories with ours while forming new memories together.
Larry passed away June 4, 2024 leaving behind a daughter, three sons, nine grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and countless friends to sort out which stories are theirs and which ones were gifts from Larry. Heaven is gaining a storyteller but they should never let him organize their bookshelves. To read more about Larry’s life visit his obituary.
