Sandra Wallace Blaydow

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Sandra Ann Wallace was born in Lubbock, Texas on September 22^nd, 1948, to parents Angeline Powell and Marvin Wallace Sr. After her parents divorced, her mother married Edward Evans. He had a very positive impact on her life. Sandra is the proud mother of Sean Christopher Hoodye, the stepmother of Mark Christopher Blaydow, and grandmother of Isaiah and Seth Hoodye. She is the oldest of four siblings which included her brother Marvin Wallace Jr. (sons Derrick Wallace and Marvin Wallace III) and two sisters Anita Phillips (husband Ron Phillips and sons Ronald and Jonathan Phillips) and sister Cheryl Le Gras (husband BJ Le Gras). Sandra also leaves behind countless loved ones, adopted and acquired family and friends. 

Sandra was an Air Force Brat who lived in many places with people of all races and cultures. During her rich and full life, she lived in Selma Alabama from 1958-1959 and experienced the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement. She lived in Northern California during Khruschev's visit, and spent her early teens in town of Kadena, on the island of Okinawa, in Japan where she was a student of former US congresswoman Diane Watson, who throughout her life remained one of Sandy’s greatest role models. She attended high school in Frankfurt, Germany, and was living there when President Kennedy was assassinated. Finally, Sandy moved to Los Angeles in 1969, where she recalled meeting Rosa Parks at the home of her other role model, Geraldine Branton.

Based on her extensive travels and the strong influence of very involved parents, Sandra spent much of her adult life volunteering to assist the disenfranchised and underprivileged, especially the very young and the elderly. She was a member of numerous philanthropic organizations, served on numerous committees and boards, including CARRY (the Coalition for At-Risk Restoring Youth) helping foster children, and One Legacy (a leading organ, eye, and tissue donation foundation). And she loved to involve her grandchildren in this work as she felt it was extremely important that they understood that the idea of “giving back” was not simply an idea, it was an ACTION. Sandra also understood that giving meant more than just a random monetary donation that makes us feel good about ourselves. It meant actually “doing,” to connect with OTHERS, to let them feel support in their time of need.

Sandra was especially pleased when she could combine her volunteerism with support for the arts, education, and sports. She and her ex-husband, Dr. Ken Blaydow, were prolific givers, sponsoring young people in education, arts, and sports. Some of the groups they supported were the Southwest Chamber Orchestra, Friends of Jazz at UCLA, The David L. Abell Scholarship Fund, The Vail Jazz Society (providing 12 Scholarships to young people from around the world), The Los Angeles Jazz Society Music in the Schools, and The David L. Abell Jazz Education Fund. She also supported The Friends of the Glendora Library, The Thornton School of Music at USC, The Ray Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund, and the CARES Foundation which deals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Sandra was also a regional sponsor for the LaVerne AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization).

Sandra was a +39 year employee of the County of Los Angeles where she enjoyed a very successful career. She started there as a civilian employee with the Los Angeles Co. Sheriffs Dept., but she spent her last several years of county service working at the Hall of Administration as the Senior Human Resources Manager. She created and developed numerous programs, many of which were community based. She also volunteered to work with the County office of Protocol on Consular Corps Events such as the Golf Invitational and the Rose Parade. She was on the Board of Advisors and the Board of Directors for One Legacy, Patron for the Miracle Works Board, a major fundraiser for the National Institute of Transplantation, a member of the International Personnel Managers Association, the American Society for Public Administration, the Management Council of Los Angeles, the Asian Employees Association of Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Filipino Employees Association, and a number of other civic groups.

Sandra earned her bachelor’s degree from USC and her master’s in history from California State University, Los Angeles. She was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Tau Tau Omega Chapter, National Council of Negro Women. She served 4 years as a Graduate Advisor to Iota Beta at USC, an undergraduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, and she continued to mentor her USC undergrads as part of her personal commitment to the development of young women.

Sandra loved to garden (and especially loved orchids). She was a voracious reader, and an absolute wealth of knowledge. Sandra was also a WORLD traveler in the truest sense, having visited Russia, Japan, Spain, England, China, France and Italy (just to name a few, …. literally just a few).

In the end, Sandra’s crowning jewels were the accomplishments of her “boys” (Sean, Isaiah and Seth). From the unveiling of a portrait of her mother (affectionately titled, “Ms. Angie”) at Sean’s first art exhibition at the Walt Girdner, to seeing Isaiah graduate from the University of Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Physics, and finally seeing Seth go off to college at Penn State to wrestle and study kinesiology – Sandy saw her love for life flourish through this legacy.

Over the years Sandra Wallace Blaydow has been many things to many people. She was a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend, mentor, and much, much more. Above all, Sandra was a force to be reckoned with – a force of nature, a force of will, a force of knowledge: Sandra was a force of Love.

Sandra will be deeply missed.