With hearts full of love and memories, the family of Sandra “Sandi” Lee (Currey) Donley announces a celebration of her life at 4:00 p.m on Friday, May 15th at Benet Place, 1420 Minnesota Blvd S.E., St Cloud. Sandi passed away peacefully on April 24th at the St. Cloud Hospital. Fr. David Gundman will officiate, and a time of sharing will conclude prayer, reflection, and music. Private disposition of ashes will take place at a later date.
Sandi was born on July 31, 1939, in Elmhurst, IL, and moved to St. Cloud at the age of 80. Sandi made lifelong friends wherever she went. She lived the majority of her life in the Chicago and Phoenix areas. She also lived for shorter periods in Des Moines, Iowa, where she attended Drake University, and in Norfolk, Virginia, where she and her husband began their family while he served in the US Navy. While Sandi lived in Minnesota for only seven years, she persevered through COVID, breast cancer and built strong bonds with many people in her Benet Place community and through her broader interests, including her faith, travel, quilting, sports, and family.
Sandi’s faith guided her strong work in supporting the Church with her family and community. Along with attending church throughout her life (and remotely through and beyond the COVID epidemic), she volunteered at every level of church service from Sunday School coordinator, Pre-School Director, Choir, Altar Guild, study groups and boards. In her last years, she actively supported the services at Benet Place.
Sandi taught sewing as a younger adult and then became an award-winning realtor and real estate broker in Arizona. She was actively engaged in the community throughout her life including fundraising and public speaking for various initiatives. She was active in her quilting and book groups – and enjoyed chair yoga, walking, playing games, bingo and activities that brought together residents at Benet Place. She loved spending time with family, including at the lake, and especially with her great-grandchildren.
Sandi had two great loves in her life. After meeting Robert Donley while they both attended Drake University, Sandi and Bob married and started their family. After 4 wonderful children and over 25 years, they ended their marriage, but continued to be friends. Sandi then met Harry Findor. They were together for 25 years until his death, traveling the world with the excitement of teenagers. Sandi shared many stories of her travels with Harry fondly with family and friends in her last days. After Harry’s passing, she continued to travel with family, including a 2025 four-generation trip to Paris to be with her youngest great-grandchild, Bobbie, a trip back to Arizona to visit her brother and family, and one last trip to the lake with family this Easter.
Perhaps unusual for her generation, Sandi had a lifelong love of sports. As a youth and teenager, she played basketball and field hockey and was a cheerleader at Drake. Even as a parent of four, she found time to play tennis and square dance. She loved watching almost all sports all the time, and attended football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and baseball games in Chicago, Phoenix, and Minnesota. The last game Sandi attended in person was watching our Minnesota Lynx battle Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever at Target Center.
Sandi was tremendously proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. After she moved to St. Cloud, she was able to spend lots of time with her Minnesota great-grandchildren, Juni and Gemma, playing games like “Bird Bingo”, reading books, making up stories, and doing puzzles.
Sandi was predeceased by her parents, Marjorie (Brydges) & James Currey, her two loves, Robert Donley & Harry Findor, & her son Jeffrey Donley. She is survived by her loving family: her brother Thomas (Bonnie) and family; her daughter Tarryl Clark (Doug), sons Scott (Amy) and Drew (Andrea); grandchildren Colin and Nathan [Tarryl], Dylan, Logan, Campbell [Scott], Emily, Mason, Rocco [Drew], and great-grandchildren Juniper and Gemma [Colin], Elliot [Dylan], Bobbie Jo [Nathan] and extended family and lifelong friends.
The family gives a special thanks to the Coborn Cancer Center, CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center, and the St. Cloud Hospital ICU. Sandi lived a full and healthy life until her heart became too damaged. Sandi and her family encourage women, particularly older women, to understand, discuss, and act on health symptoms with their family and providers as they may be different than those experienced by men.
Donations may be made in Sandi’s name to the Coborn Cancer Center. A Sandi Project to make & donate quilts in her name will take place over the next year. If you are interested in participating, contact Sandi’s daughter, Tarryl.
Sandi has been my friend and neighbor since she moved in to Benet Place. She did Senior Yoga 3 or 4 days a week with up to seven of her friends here at Benet Place. I loved her laugh and sense of humor. Sandi was a true friend. She would do anything for anyone if it was within her power. I have a lot of good memories with Sandi. I will miss her.
Lolly
With hearts full of love and memories, the family of Sandra “Sandi” Lee (Currey) Donley announces a celebration of her life at 4:00 p.m on Friday, May 15th at Benet Place 1420 Minnesota Blvd S.E., St Cloud. Sandi passed away peacefully on April 24th at the St. Cloud Hospital. Fr. David Gundman will officiate and a time of sharing will conclude prayer, reflection and music. Private disposition of ashes will take place at a later date.
