Obituary of Sandra Leigh Morgan Lakin

Sandra Leigh Morgan Lakin, a loving mother, sister and cherished friend, died on the 6th of December at the age of 70 at the Goodwin House of Bailey’s Crossroads after nearly a decade living with Alzheimer’s disease. The youngest of four children in a West Virginia coal mining family, Sandy was 5-years old when her family moved to the Fredericksburg, Virginia area. Always an excellent and hard-working student, Sandy put herself through college at Virginia Commonwealth University. After college, she married and had two children before the couple divorced. Sandy had a long and fulfilling career as a certified public accountant and manager at the Internal Revenue Service, where she also made lifelong friends. At home in Richmond, she taught her two children to work as a team while preparing meals and sharing daily responsibilities. Fun and adventure were also hallmarks of her household, including frequent dance parties and spontaneous vacations. Sandy would hand her children a guidebook as they set off for destinations from the North Carolina beaches to the Grand Canyon. As the children grew, their adventures spanned overseas to Southeast Asia and Russia. Sandy Lakin had a special talent for heart-to-heart conversations; her steady, sincere attention along with her trademark smile and easy laugh were welcome gifts to friends and family. Sandy’s warmth persisted through her final years, as she continued to share her infectious joy and love for dancing, nature and family. She is survived by her loving family, including: children Jennifer Elizabeth McAllister (John) and Matthew Shane Morgan Lakin (Sarya Sok); and grandchildren Henry, Reed and Stone. She also leaves behind her siblings Patricia Ann Nichols; Roberta Morgan Schoen (Zane); and Robert E. Morgan (Sherry), as well as many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. A celebration of her life is being planned by her family. Donations may be made in Sandy’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association through the Sandra Lakin Memorial page at https://bit.ly/2spzAPW.