Helen Sandra Watson

Helen Sandra Watson, 72, of Boise, died December 4, 2021, at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center with her daughter Michelle and granddaughter Alexis by her side.

Sandy was born September 23, 1949, to William and Lois Strong in Lakeview, Oregon.  Growing up, life began with love for her family; her father whom she adored, her mother, and younger brother, Doug.  She enjoyed sharing fond memories of riding motorcycles with Doug as an adolescent and baking with her mom.  Although her father died when she was just a child, her memories of him clung on for a lifetime. 

After graduation from high school, she attended Bible College.  While in her first marriage, she had her eldest child, Tracy and while married to Rodger Watson, she had Michelle.  A Christian upbringing for their girls was important to Sandy and Rodger, so for years Sandy taught computer classes at the private school they attended to pay for the tuition.  Her knowledge of computers was vast and she enjoyed teaching students how to write programming codes.  When Tracy and Michelle were older, Sandy worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield.  One of her main jobs was to assist customers over the phone and although there was a quota to meet, she felt it was more important to hear the customer, empathize and truly try to assist them.  She felt great joy in helping them and it earned her many accolades.

Sandy had a huge love for painting, crafting, and gardening.  She learned oil painting from watching Bob Ross on T.V. and would create beautiful nature scenes for years.  Arts and crafts were her world, scrapbooking to cross-stitch and everything in between; she created her last Thanksgiving wreath from scratch only weeks prior to her passing.  In gardening, she found peace.  It was a place to teach her daughters how things grow or a quiet place to tend and pray.

Sandy’s family continued to be her first priority; always being the “best mommy” and advocate for Tracy in her struggles with multiple sclerosis, talking on the phone every day to Michelle about everything under the sun and hearing about how her grand kitties and doggie were doing, and loving her granddaughter, Alexis, more than she will ever know.  It was important to not just be a mom but to be a friend, support, and prayer partner.  Her greatest joys were to celebrate her “three girls” and her son in love, Kody’s, achievements, whether big or small, she was always so proud of them.

When Sandy was just a young girl, she began attending church and created her bond with God.  Over the years, she grew stronger in her faith and loved attending church, the last being Life Church.   She taught her three girls how important it was to keep Jesus first and she remained strong in her faith until her last breath, telling Michelle and Alexis “she was in Jesus’ arms”.

Survivors include her daughters, Tracy Fass of Boise, Michelle Watson and Kody Robinson of Waldport; Granddaughter, Alexis Watson of Waldport; nieces and nephew, Dawn Strong, Shawn Strong, Heather Coliten, and William “Billy” Strong; several great-nieces and nephews and multiple nieces and nephews from her former marriage to Rodger. 

Sandy was preceded in death by her parents, William and Lois Strong, her brother Douglas Strong and her former husband, Rodger Watson.

A celebration of life with family and friends whom she was loved and missed by will be held on a future date in Baker City, Oregon.

Memorial Contributions can be made to PXE International.  Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum (PXE) is a disease which Sandy battled her whole life.  In her last moments, she expressed how much is yet unknown; please help fund research in honor of her.