Sandra Sue Duty Radford

Services for Sandra Radford, 84, of Tyler will be held on Monday, December 18, 2023, at 1:00 PM at Stewart Family Funeral Home. Visitation will follow immediately after service. Burial will follow at 2:30 PM at Cathedral in the Pines Cemetery under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Mrs. Radford passed away peacefully on December 14, 2023, in Tyler. She was born on August 30, 1939, in Franklin, Louisiana to the late Gilbert and Eunice Duty. Sandra was raised in Weimar, Texas and went to school there until the 10th grade when the family moved to Conroe, Texas. She continued high school there until the last 10 weeks of her senior year and after following another move, graduated from Eagle Lake High School. Her ambition as a young girl was to “do the best in all she tried to do and to help and serve others”. This certainly describes how she lived her life. She studied nursing through Breckenridge Hospital in Austin and practiced for a short time in Dr. Thomas’ clinic in Eagle Lake, Texas. She met her husband whom she referred to as “The Best Man” on a blind date. Their love for each other set the standard for our family for all generations to come. After three years of dating, they married in 1965 and she moved to Tyler with him where she devoted herself fully to her family and church. As her children grew older, she began working for the Green Acres Early Education Center with the infants. It was during the beginning stages of opening this childcare center and they hoped that having a nurse in the building would reassure parents who were leaving their children for the first time. She spent over the next 30 years rocking babies and providing them with a strong, loving foundational first year. She believed in the importance of the infancy and preschool years for setting the stage for a solid future. She retired when her first grandson was born and enjoyed many years of pouring the same love and experiences into her grandchildren. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, sewing, reading, crafting, and above everything else her family. Her family meant everything to her. Sandra was a member of Green Acres Baptist Church, where she volunteered in the Intercessory Prayer Ministry, numerous children’s ministries, and the Good Samaritan Outreach Center. She was an active member of her church until she was no longer able to attend. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 44 years, Carroll Radford, as well as numerous aunts and uncles. She is survived by a loving family including her daughter, Sharon Chalmers and husband Morris Chalmers; son, Mike Radford, Sherry Radford; and grandchildren, Matthew Evans, Lauren Biggs and husband Cole Biggs, Austin Radford; and bonus grandchildren, Bailey Vuorensyrja and husband Ilari Vuorensyrja and Wyatt Chalmers; niece, Carrie Radford; numerous cousins and extended family; and her closest friend of over 56 years, Becky Johnston. Pallbearers are Matthew Evans, Cole Biggs, Wyatt Chalmers, Morris Chalmers, Austin Radford, and Bobby Dingler. Thank you to the staff at Oak Hills Terrace Memory Care in Tyler for their loving care for her for the last almost 7 years, to Dr. Douglas Coltman for his care and help over the years, and for the staff of Enhabit Hospice for making her last 3 months so peaceful. What a beautiful, loving, gracious life she lived.

Sandra Sue Duty Radford

August 30, 1939 - December 14, 2023