Sandra "Sandi" Chavez

October 20, 1950 - April 8, 2012

A memorial service for Mt. Crested Butte resident, currently of Lamar, Sandra K. "Sandi" Chavez, will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, April 14, 2012 at the Ford-Ustick Family Chapel in Rocky Ford, Colorado. Inurnment will follow in the Hillcrest Cemetery in Rocky Ford, Colorado. Per Sandi's request cremation has taken place and there will be no public visitation. Mrs. Chavez was born on October 20, 1950 in Rapid City, South Dakota to Thomas Austin O'Dea and Mildred Erna (Shonrock) O'Dea and departed this life on Sunday April 8, 2012 at Prowers Medical Center in Lamar at the age of 61. Sandi met her husband Rick while attending Adams State College in Alamosa and were married on Dec. 18, 1971 in Rocky Ford. Upon her graduation she joined her husband while at Naval Aviation Flight Training in Pensacola, FL. She put her career on hold to join her husband, Rick on two deployments over seas, the first in Iwakuni, Japan in 1974 the other in Okinawa, Japan in 1976 where their daughter, Kristy Lynn Chavez was born April 9, 1976. Upon completion of active duty her husband joined American Airlines in 1979 where they moved to St. Charles, IL and were based at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. She resumed her career in Special Education while working on her Master's Degree eventually becoming the Director of Special Education in West Chicago, IL. She retired in 2007 and then moved permanently to a house they had built in Mt. Crested Butte, CO where they resided until her illness forced them to move to Lamar, CO in 2011. Sandi Chavez is survived by her husband – Rick Chavez of Mt. Crested Butte, CO; by one daughter – Kristy Lynn Chavez of Aurora, IL; by one sister – Shelia Rittgers (Albert Thompson) of St. Louis, MO; by one brother – Michael (Dana) O'Dea of Shawnee, KS; and by her mother – Mildred Crockett of St. Louis, MO; also surviving are numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and a host of friends. Sandi was preceded in death by her father – Thomas Austin O'Dea in 1966 and by her step-father – Remer Crockett in 1994. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to The ALS Association - 1275 K Street NW - Suite 1050 - Washington, DC 20005 or got to www.alsa.org either direct or in care of the funeral home office. Local services for Sandra K. "Sandi" Chavez are under the direction of Ford-Ustick Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent to www.fordustick.com or to www.peacockfuneralhome.com. Lamar arrangements were handled by Peacock Funeral Home.