Vincent started teh Sandra A. Myers-Mazzie ’73 Nursing Excellence Fund in honor of Sandie at Brockport.

Ovarian Cancer 1996
Cancer metastisized 2005

In Sandie’s Honor (Vince Mazzie)
This is the saddest day of my life, but it is also a day to
rejoice. This is a sad day because I lost the love of my life,
but I rejoice in knowing that Sandie is now in a far better
place and someday we will be united again. You often read
that someone lost their battle with cancer, well Sandie won
and the Lord called her home for her reward.
Sandie and I first met 36 years and 74 days ago at
Brockport, her second day in college as a freshman.
Hazing was allowed back then and I stopped a group of
girls and asked them to give a kiss to me and my friends on
the cheek. I was immediately attracted to Sandie with her
long brown hair and great smile. We were pinned in
December 1969, engaged in October of 1971 and I received
my greetings from Uncle Sam the day of our engagement
party. We married on May 19, 1973, 2 weeks after Sandie
graduated with her B.S. in nursing. We were fortunate that
I was stationed at West Point and after a 3 week
honeymoon in Hawaii we settled in our apartment on post
for the next 1 and a half years. Sandie began her nursing
career at Castle Point as a rehab nurse and attended NYU
full time on a veterans administration scholarship. She left
Castle Point a few years later and along with Dr. Ercito and
others, started an in-patient rehab unit at St. Francis that she
was proud of and how ironic after her stroke in August, she
went back for therapy. Her professional career blossomed
over the years as Dr. Aronzon discussed and was loved and
respected by her peers. She did good.
Sandie was a dignified, warm, caring, and beautiful
woman, who loved and cherished her friends and family
more than anything else. She loved her nieces and
Godchildren and received great joy in making them happy
especially at Christmas. She would decorate the house for
weeks and we had 4 Christmas trees, so wherever we were
in the house you could see them, 2 inside and 2 outside.
We had the same Santa for 10 years who would play the
piano and we would sing Christmas carols and Sandie
would be in her glory, beaming with joy. NYC and Radio
City Music Hall were generally part of the holiday
festivities.
Sandie also loved our house in Bolton Landing and Lake
George and she would plan a week in the summer when we
would have the Myers family reunion. She made a flip
chart of things that the kids could do, like boating, fishing,
water skiing, horseback riding, theme parks.... The kids
could chose what they wanted each day.
It was a special time for her and she looked forward to it
more than anything else. We got together the last week in
August this year, 3 weeks after her stroke and even though
she couldn’t be as active as she would like, she was happy
because her nieces were there with her and having fun.
Outside of our careers, when we went to work each day, we
did everything else together. Our friends were not mine or
hers, they were ours. We were a couple and we lived as
one. We didn’t have children of our own, so our lives
revolved around each other.
Her oncologist at Sloan Kettering in NYC called me
Tuesday morning to say how sorry he was and we talked
for 30 minutes. He said Sandie would come in and always
looked so good and strong. She was always smiling and
positive and never let the disease get to her. When I told
him that she never shared with anyone including family,
when she had a problem, he was amazed, but not surprised.
He said she was remarkable.
I was lucky to have Sandie for my wife. She was beautiful
and loved me dearly and would do anything to make me
happy. She never let her health interfere with what she
valued most and that was to live life to the fullest.
6 years ago she had a recurrence and wrote me a letter
expressing her love and appreciation for my emotional,
spiritual, and physical support and she was deeply sorry
that she may not live long enough to grow old together.
She fought battles after that and each time she won
because she was strong, focused, and determined.
Although she did not live long, she had a great life and
enriched the lives of others in many ways.
Well 6 years later, I’m the one thanking her for all she has
done for me. I thank her for courage , for her strength and
her will to fight, for her love of God and her deep and
enduring love for me and for making my life complete.
Since Sandie had her stroke, I would do the shopping and
would pick up cards to give to her. I brought the last one to
her in the hospital and read it to her and I would like to
share it with you.
It is titled “A Promise of Love”
With my lips,
I will kiss away the teardrops that never should have been.
With my ears,
I will hear things you can’t always say and listen when you
don’t have the words.
With my eyes,
I will see the parts of you that no one else has seen before
And tell you how beautiful you are so that you can see it
too.
With my arms,
I will hold you close to me and make up for all the times
you should have been held.
With my heart and my soul,
I promise I will love you just as you were meant to loved.
Now and forever.

Sandra Anne “Sandie” (Myers) Mazzie, of Newburgh,
passed away on Saturday, November 12, 2005 at Vassar
Brothers Medical Center, Poughkeepsie at the age of 54.
She was born on October 12, 1951 in Buffalo, NY.
She is survived by her loving husband Vince of 32 years;
her parents, LaVerne and Carol Myers of St. Petersburg,
FL; brother Thomas Myers and his wife Mary; sister, Mary
K. Star and her husband Jim; nieces, Erika Myers, Kather-
ine, Lauren and Elizabeth Star, all of Rochester, NY;
mother-in-law, Florence Mazzie of Newburgh; brother-in-
law, Ralph Mazzie and his wife Renee of Newburgh. She
was pre-deceased by her father-in-law, Ralph Mazzie.
Sandie earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from
SUNY Brockport, a Masters of Arts from the School of
Education, Health, Nursing and Arts Professions, New York
University, and had earned credits towards her doctorate at
Columbia University. Her career history includes the Di-
rector of Patient Care at St. Francis Hospital; Poughkeep-
sie, NY; Vice President of Patient Care Services at St.
Luke’s Hospital, Newburgh; President of Sandra A. Mazzie
& Associates – a health care consulting company; and a
Patient Care Executive Consultant with APM Management
Consultants a national firm specializing in hospital restruc-
turing. Recently she was Director of Special Projects and a
member of the Executive Team at Vassar Brothers Medical
Center, Poughkeepsie.
Her professional achievements are numerous and include
being named to “Who’s Who in American Nursing” and
Marquis “Who’s Who in the East.” She also served as Vice
President of the NYS Nurses Association and received
advanced certification in nursing administration form the
American Nurses Association. She was a member of Sigma
Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the
Powelton Club, and was past member of the board of direc-
tors of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and the
Holden Home.
Sandie was an avid gardener and loved "getting her hands
in the dirt". She was a member of the Garden Club of Or-
ange and Dutchess Counties, and served as its finance
committee chair. She had a wonderful life with Vince,
sharing many good friends. She looked forward to her
family gatherings in Bolton Landing, and Christmas in
Newburgh. Sandie especially cherished the time with her
nieces and Godchildren and will be missed by all who
knew and loved her.
Visitation will be held from 4-8 pm. on Wednesday, Novem-
ber 16 at Brooks-DiDonato Funeral Home, 481 Gidney
Avenue, Newburgh, NY 12550. A Mass of Christian Burial
will be celebrated at 10 am on Thursday, November 17 at
St Francis of Assisi Church, Newburgh. Entombment will
follow in Cedar Hill Mausoleum, Newburgh.
Flowers will be appreciated, as will donations to Hospice
of Orange & Sullivan Counties Inc.
800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550.
To send a personal condolence or for directions to the
funeral home, please visit Brooks-DiDonato.com.

Eulogy given by friend Mary Jane Bauer

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Mary Jame Bauer, Sandie's closet friend. Wow! Look at all of you here, so many good friends. But I was her closet friend. You see, I live right across the street. Proximity has its privileges.

About 20 years ago, Vince could tell you exactly when, the Mazzies, "a darling young couple, I'd just love" according to Eileen Engles, moved to Balmville Road. Sans cake or casserole, I took my beautiful daughters, Elizabeth 3 1/2 and Katie 6 months, instead to welcome them. The Mazzies thought I was a little nosey. Can you imagine? The girls won them over anyway.

A dinner invitation followed. They came early. I was late. No surprise there. My tardiness always made Sandie crazy. Many, many more dinners would follow. Not because of my cooking mind you. My husband, Dick, makes the best southern comfort manhattan anywhere. Sandie never sent one back.

We shared so much over the next 20 years:

1. Friends: Bayers, Maloneys, Tawes, Drake's, Engles, Fogartys, Higgins, Kahns, Maineys, Najorks, Smiths and Youngs just to name a view.

2. City Island and the "Sandie A."

3. Montauk

4. The Powelton Club: the Christmas dance became the first of many traditions. We won't be going this year.

5. Cortina and New Years Eve: Sandie always snuck the girls into the Ballroom just before Midnight.

6. Nantucket: Gull Cottage with Bauer Sr's., Kaplans and the Lynns.

7. The Pico condo: Vinny why did you always make the girls crazy just before bed time?

8. Christmas shopping in NYC: This tradition was really the guy's thing. They never should have told us how much fun they had. We never let them go alone again.

9. South Carolina: Sandie and Vince were regulars at the annual 4th of July celebration.

10. The Lake: Wonderful winter, summer, spring and fall dayson Lake George in their beautiful dream house.

So many memories, too many more to mention.

We shared our families too. Elizabeth and Katie loved to stay over at Sandie and Vinnies. Aunt Flo, Ralphie and Renee became part of our extended family. My folks enjoyed pre-holiday dinners with the Myers. Christmas with the kids became Santa at the Mazzies when Tom & Mary had Erika, and Mary K and Jim had their three girls, Katherine, Lauren and Elizabeth. Santa had a present for all.

Sandie shared her vast medical expertise with all of us as well. Always our first consult. What do we do? Where do we go? Who do we see? She always knew and always had time.

I haven't seen as much of my buddy as I would have liked to lately. It's not for lack of trying.

The last week has been difficult for all of us, Sandie is gone and her suffering is over. I have missed her for a long time. But I understand now.

Dear sandie:

You only had enought strength for one friend, your best friend Vince. You leave me now my closet friend, to do the things for Vince you would not let me to do for you. We will, all you friends, love Vince and your family until you meet again. I will miss you and love you forever.

With Love and Friendship

Mary Jane

Eulogy by Daniel Aronzon

Seventeen years ago when Sandie left Saint Francis Hospital,k her colleagues assembled to have a party bidding her farewell.

1988:
“You brought people together to accomplish something good, with grace and style”

“You made us believe in the essential goodness of the nursing procession and its members”

“You care about your work, the people who work with you and most importantly, those who need you the most, your patients”

“You shared your vision on the role of nursing in hospitals and healthcare, and the essential centrality of the nurse’s role in the deliver of that care”

This week when Sandie passed away, her colleagues a Vassar commented as follows:

Sandie was class. She was caring and fun loving.
Sandie defined competence and caring.
She had a specific talent in that she could bring people together.
She brought so much to the table with her kind, sensitive touch.
She was the voice of reason backed by years of health care experience.
She was unique in her quest to see the big picture, to rise above the petty and trivial.
She cared and it showed.
Because of what she did, thousands of patients received better care.
She mad us all better!

Seventeen years of caring, loving and helping. The comments haven't changed, thank God neither did the person.

I first met Sandie in the early 1980's when as a new pediatrician in town, I tried to develop an infant screening program for high risk babies. Sandie patiently guided me through the process of getting it done despite the bureaucracies of Vassar and Saint Francis Hospitals.

Almost two years ago when I became the CEO of Vassar Brothers Medical Center, my team and I were faced with the challenge and responsibilities very new to us. Sandie was my sounding board, my ear and my confident.

She listened but more importantly she heard.
She cared, but more importantly she felt.
She mentored but more importantly she taught.
She laughed, but more importantly she applauded.

Just a few weeks ago, I called and imposed one last time of her wisdom and experience. As always, her advice was sound and I'm glad that I listened.

Sandie taught and mentored thousands of nurses at three of the (Hudson) Valley's most important hospitals; Saint Francis, St Lukes and finally, Vassar Brothers. She was proud, rightly so of her accomplishments, but if you wanted to see her light up, you just had to talk to her about her Vince and her family, especially her nieces. She cherished every moment she spent with them, she glowed with love when she spoke of gatherings and holidays.

Ten years ago Sandie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It was a battle she fought with courage, home and dignity.

Only a few of her friends and her doctors knew the truth. When her doctors had bad news for her, it was she who cheered them up.

When others might have dissolved into a morass of self pity and depression, Sandie fought her cancer with a smile.

Always the lady, her last words to me this past Friday was to ask about my family and to wish me a happy Thanksgiving.

Whether you believe in a traditional heaven or more of a parallel universe that the human spirit can sometimes transverse to.
Whether you believe that heaven is taking your last breath with little of few regrets.
Whether you believe heaven is living on in the hearts and minds of your loved ones.
Regardless of how we choose to define it, we can all agree that Sandie is there now.

We will mourn her passing, we will miss that special smile, we will regret the moments we can no longer spend with her, but above all, we must remember to rejoice, for this was a life well lived.