Sandra Hope MacKenzie

1971-2020

After a brave and long fight with the disease of Lupus, Sandra lost her war.

Loving mother of Callum MacKenzie Heffernan, wife of John Heffernan, she spent her life working with and helping the sick.

Graduating with honors from Fitchburg School of Nursing class of 1993, she earned her Master’s Degree and Nurse Practitioner certification at University of Rhode Island in 2002.  She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and the Emergency Nursing Association.

Her nursing career included clinical staff and leadership roles in the Emergency Departments of Westerly Hospital and South County hospital.  As a Nurse Practitioner, she worked at South County Walk-in and Primary Care of Narragansett as well as a primary care provider at Fidelity’s North Smithfield campus.

 She continued to excel in her preferred field of emergency medicine at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, Providence then subsequently as an emergency management consultant throughout New England and the East coast. 

Always a caring and compassionate provider, she treated her patients with an abundance of kindness and love.

Volunteering was part of her life and included a medical mission to Honduras in 2002, RI Free clinic and South County EMS among many others. In 2003 she received the Community Hero American Red Cross award.

She is survived by her husband John, son Callum, brother Andrew MacKenzie, sister-in-law Jeanette MacKenzie, father Robert MacKenzie and mother Veronica MacKenzie as well as her extended family in the US and Scotland.  She will be dearly missed.

Visiting hours will be private and a memorial service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating in Sandy’s name to Crossroads RI Domestic Violence Program or your favorite charity.