Obituary of SANDRA FRANCES SODLOSKY BRIDGES

SANDRA FRANCES SODLOSKY BRIDGES After a lengthy illness, it is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Sandra Frances Sodlosky Bridges on December 5, 2016. Sandy was born on January 17, 1947. She grew up in East Kildonan. She lost her father at a very young age, and had a very close relationship with her mother, Mary. She had many childhood friends, and maintained those friendships throughout her lifetime. Having no siblings, Sandy’s friends were very important to her, and she thought of them as family. They considered her family as well, and Sandy was never without an invitation! As well, Sandy was always hosting parties and treating her “family” to her mother’s fabulous Ukrainian cuisine! Sandy had a long and happy career with MTS, starting as a construction clerk and working her way up to a human resource manager at her time of retirement. She loved her job, was involved with and planned many special company events and made many lifelong friends. While working at MTS, Sandy fulfilled one of her lifetime dreams by attending the University of Winnipeg as an adult student and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. This was one of her proudest accomplishments. In 1995, Sandy married the love of her life, Don Bridges. Their marriage and friendship was the envy of everyone who knew them. They felt blessed that they found each other and cherished each and every day that they spent together. After their early retirement, Don and Sandy opened the first and only general store in Grindstone Provincial Park. They became the hub of the community and everyone came in for a special visit. She treated each and every customer as if they were a guest in her home. She lined the walls of the store with photos of regular patrons and displayed their crafts on the shelves, hoping to give the cottagers at Grindstone a sense of belonging to their store. She looked forward to the store opening in the Spring and seeing how much the kids had grown over the winter months, and cried as she had to say good-bye to them when the store closed each October. Sandy looked forward to every winter when her and Don would travel to Maui. They had many friends and family visit them while they were there, and loved that they could share their little piece of paradise with others. Sandy loved life! She believed in living every moment to the fullest, whether it be shopping, attending rock concerts, sporting events or trying her luck at her favorite slot machine at the casino. Sandy had a heart of gold, and was very generous. She loved making people’s dreams come true, and loved surprising someone with a special gift or gesture. She believed that if something gave you just a fleeting moment of pleasure, then you should definitely have it! She wanted everybody to be happy. Sandy loved people and appreciated each and every person who crossed her path in life. She was kind to everyone, and made everyone feel valued. As kind and generous as Sandy was, however, she wasn't afraid to show her inner tigress when she saw her family, friends, or even the underdog being targeted unjustly. She was willing to take them on with her infamous offer to ”rip their lips off”! Sandy loved children, and believed that each and every child was special in their own right. She had numerous godchildren, and played a big role in each of their lives. She enjoyed all of the children that came through the door at the Grindstone General Store, and took the time to learn each of their names and have a special chat with all of them, regardless of how busy the store was. Her love for her grandchildren, David, Mark, (“Marker”), Jillian and Katelyn was unmeasurable. They were her pride and joy, and there was nothing that she wouldn’t do for them. She had a love for animals that was unsurpassed. During her lifetime, Sandy took in many strays and had many pets that were treated as members of her family. Her two cats, Gypsy, a rescued stray, and then Pukalani, brought home from Hawaii held a special place in her heart. She always shed a tear for any sick or unfortunate creature, and was known to pull over to the side of the road and cry for the poor deer or squirrel who didn’t make it across. Sandy will be remembered and always missed by her husband, Don; Donna Bridges; grandsons, David and Mark, and their father, Gary Dueck (Denise); Kathy and Chris Wallmuth; granddaughters, Jillian and Katelyn; brother-in-law, Ron Bridges (Chris); cousins, Judy (Bob) Stinson, cousins Greg (Donalda) Hull, Brian (Carol) Polonski numerous nieces and nephews, godchildren and friends. She was predeceased by her parents, Bill and Mary Sodlosky. A celebration of Sandy’s life will be held on Monday, December 12, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main Street. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Sandy’s memory to the Winnipeg Humane Society. Sandy, we love you, and are so grateful that you chose to share your life with us. You have touched each and every one of our lives, and there isn’t a day that goes by that you aren’t thought of and missed.