Memorial

Sandra K Downs peacefully flew over the rainbow on May 30, 2026 surrounded by love from her family. She was cremated per her wishes and will be laid to rest privately at Davenport Memorial Park next to her husband Chuck who passed away unexpectedly August 11, 2011, ten days before their 46th wedding anniversary. Sandy was born in Detroit, Michigan on April 29, 1944, to Chester and Sallie (Sells) Richards. They moved frequently due to her father’s jobs, but she always considered Iowa her home. She moved to Maquoketa upon entering 7th Grade, where her family remained until she was a Junior in High School. They moved briefly to Ferndale, Michigan until almost the end of her Senior year, when they returned to Maquoketa and she was reunited with those who became her lifelong friends. She was a member of the National Honor Society and drama club. She played clarinet and was also an accomplished piano player. Sandy belonged to Rainbow Girls, and would have been a Worthy Advisor had her family not moved from Maquoketa. She loved music, from classic to rock. 

After graduating in 1962, she attended St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Cedar Rapids, graduating in August, 1965. Sandy and Chuck were married August 21, 1965, at the Methodist Church in Maquoketa. They moved to Davenport, started a family, then moved to Bettendorf where they lived until Chuck passed. In late 2012 Sandy moved to Atkins after building a home close to her daughter. In 2021, she moved to Terrace Glen Village in Marion. 

Sandy worked in Davenport at Mercy Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, and Genesis Hospital for thirty years, briefly taking time off for the birth of her daughters. She worked in cardiac care for the majority of her career, as a staff nurse and then a nurse manager. She assisted in setting up the Cardiac Rehab Program and later helped set up the Pulmonary Unit, caring for patients on ventilators. She was named Outstanding Nurse of the Year by her peers in 1989. She had a large impact on her patients and their families, remaining in contact with several for many decades. In her free time, she enjoyed time with family, reading, crocheting, and playing cards. She was quite skilled at needlepointing, and she will live on in her beautiful, cherished pieces of art.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Laura and Priscilla, brother Artie, dear friends Stephanie and Sherri, and her beloved pets Tina, Mo, and Ali. Sandy leaves behind her daughter Carrie, grandson Jake, Kelan (Jake’s father), daughter Leslie, son-in-law Tim, grandchildren Lilianna and Lucas, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Sandy was generous with donations, and supported the Parkinson’s Foundation, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and Doctors Without Borders if you'd like to consider a donation in her honor.