Lakeside resident Sandra Nicol Cartwright died January 19 at the home of her good friends, Marilu Amici and Dean Cowan, after a short illness. She was 68.
Born October 12, 1943 in Lanark, Scotland, Cartwright graduated from the University of Edinburgh with degrees in Business and English. Her adventurous spirit took her to the United States and eventually to California, her home for more than 30 years. Her professional career was devoted to human resources, specifically personnel recruitment, compensation and benefits, employee relations, training and development and office administration.
Her professional affiliations included Aylestone Hill College of Hereford, England, and the Society of Human Resource Management, National Management Association (Member of the Year in 1994). She was a member of the Daughters of the British Empire. She became a U.S. citizen in July 1995.
Cartwright always devoted much of her personal time to improving the lives of children, ensuring their right to health, education, equality, protection and love. She served as a Guardian Ad Litem in the Juvenile Justice System for abused and neglected children.
Cartwright retired and moved to Mexico in February 2002. Shortly after settling at Lakeside, she became involved with organizations supporting children, including Los Niños de Chapala y Ajijic and Villa Infantil Nuestra Señora Guadalupe y San Jose. Soon, she was involved full-time with the Villa, sharing her love, making lunches, writing for grants for continued education, seeking sponsors for each child and making sure that the shelter was in compliance with government regulations. She was named 2011’s honorary ambassador for Villa Infantil.
Her professed “true loves” were gardening, bringing life to every plant she touched with her green thumb, and writing. After humorous situations or other experiences worth repeating she often quipped, “That one is going in my book.” She diligently captured her thoughts in the daily journal. She dabbled in painting, bringing lots of color into her home and she loved John Wayne movies. She committed two or more hours each day to studying Spanish to immerse herself more completely into the Mexican culture.
Cartwright is survived by her daughter, Jessica Collier, of California. Mother and daughter were devoted to each other and often enjoyed Sandra’s favorite Disneyland ride, “It’s a Small World,” together. They were best friends, sharing the same words Winnie the Pooh and Piglet shared as best friends. “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you. If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together …there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart … I’ll always be with you.”
Cartwright will always be with the many people she’s helped during a lifetime of service to those in need.