Sandra Lee (Olmstead) Sarin

Sandra Lee (Olmstead) Sarin, 72, passed away peacefully on Feb. 2, 2016, at home in Astoria. She was born March 6, 1943, in Glendale, California, to Babe and Leo Olmstead.

She graduated from Mark Morris High School in Longview, Washington. She attended Lower Columbia College, where she met her college sweetheart Charles “Chuck” Sarin in October 1961. They dated for almost three years, and were married on June 27, 1964, in Longview, Washington.

They moved to Astoria in December 1964, where they have lived together for over 51 years. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother to her two sons and five grandchildren. She was also “Mom” and “Grandma” to countless others.

She had a successful professional career that began with selling home interiors, and included nearly 10 years of selling real estate for Pete Andersen Realty and Dave Dickson Realty. After a short stint working in banking, she spent 15 years in the Student Services Department at Clatsop Community College, where she was a loan officer who helped students with their financial aid. She retired in 1999. She also served on the city of Astoria Planning Commission.

One of her many legacies was the ability to connect deeply with the people she knew and met along the way. She was a great listener with a bright and infectious smile. She had a special way of getting people to open up and share, so she could find positive seeds and replant them. She was a guiding light for many people, and will be missed dearly.

She is survived by her husband, Chuck; sister, Karen (Tom) Campbell of Concord, California; brother, Larry (Karon) Olmstead of Seattle; son, Mike (Laura) Sarin of Astoria; son, Eric (Bea) Sarin of Westlake Village, California; grandchildren, Rick, Brittanie, Mikayla, Luke and Leo; as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

There will be a celebration of her life on March 5 at 2 p.m. at the Warrenton Community Center, 170 S.W. Third St., Warrenton, Oregon.