Sandra
Sandra Marsyla
d. September 29, 2018
SANDRA L. MARSYLAa�"1938-2018
"I should have been a lawyer." This was a phrase often uttered by Sandra Lee Marsyla, who died peacefully in her sleep on September 29, 2018, at the age of 80.
Instead of becoming a lawyer, Sandie earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from Kent State University in 1972. (Yes, she was there during the shootings.) She taught college English, moved on to a Human Resources career, and ultimately opened her own business. Sandie called her business "Lee Marsh & Associates," opting for an androgynous name knowing that employers might not choose a woman to lead their IT-staff recruiting efforts. It was a lesson she'd learned from a guidance counselor who'd told her, "Women don't go to law school."
Nevertheless, she persisted.
Though Sandie didn't attend law school, she used her quick wit and love of debate to persuade anyone who'd listen that they really ought to be a Democrat. She took great pride in drafting winning legal briefs in small claims court.
Sandie also was a prolific writer. In addition to her Ph.D. dissertation, "The Unheroic Hero: A Study of Mythical Echoes and Their Effect Upon the Technically Ineffectual Heroes of Charles Dickens' Fiction (231 pp.)," she wrote a novel (unpublished), and was a ghost writer for others.
Sandie was born February 16, 1938, in Rochester, MN, to parents June and Archie Weinberg. She grew up in Duluth, MN, with her older brother Morrie and a dog named JAMS, an acronym created from the first letter of each the family's names.
Sandie married John Arnold Marsyla on December 16, 1962, at the age of 24. "And I was considered an old maid!" she'd exclaim. John also earned a doctorate in English, and the two spent the early years of their marriage learning and teaching at universities in Arizona, Illinois, and Ohio as they pursued their advanced degrees.
Though Sandie and John ultimately divorced in 1981, they had two children: Kira and David. Sandie instilled in them her love of animals (especially Pomeranians!), the value of home ownership, as well as the importance of their Jewish heritage combined with the fun of opening Christmas presents. Both now have families of their own and live in California's San Francisco Bay Area.
Sandie is survived by her children Kira (Mark) Spearman and David Marsyla (Jenni Farrell); 3 grandchildren Beckett Spearman, Elle Marsyla, and Pearl Marsyla; and her former husband, John (Rae Joyce) Marsyla.
Sandie was laid to rest October 12 in Eagan, MN, where she'd lived for more than 30 years. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-aclu
"I should have been a lawyer." This was a phrase often uttered by Sandra Lee Marsyla, who died peacefully in her sleep on September 29, 2018, at the age of 80.
Instead of becoming a lawyer, Sandie earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from Kent State University in 1972. (Yes, she was there during the shootings.) She taught college English, moved on to a Human Resources career, and ultimately opened her own business. Sandie called her business "Lee Marsh & Associates," opting for an androgynous name knowing that employers might not choose a woman to lead their IT-staff recruiting efforts. It was a lesson she'd learned from a guidance counselor who'd told her, "Women don't go to law school."
Nevertheless, she persisted.
Though Sandie didn't attend law school, she used her quick wit and love of debate to persuade anyone who'd listen that they really ought to be a Democrat. She took great pride in drafting winning legal briefs in small claims court.
Sandie also was a prolific writer. In addition to her Ph.D. dissertation, "The Unheroic Hero: A Study of Mythical Echoes and Their Effect Upon the Technically Ineffectual Heroes of Charles Dickens' Fiction (231 pp.)," she wrote a novel (unpublished), and was a ghost writer for others.
Sandie was born February 16, 1938, in Rochester, MN, to parents June and Archie Weinberg. She grew up in Duluth, MN, with her older brother Morrie and a dog named JAMS, an acronym created from the first letter of each the family's names.
Sandie married John Arnold Marsyla on December 16, 1962, at the age of 24. "And I was considered an old maid!" she'd exclaim. John also earned a doctorate in English, and the two spent the early years of their marriage learning and teaching at universities in Arizona, Illinois, and Ohio as they pursued their advanced degrees.
Though Sandie and John ultimately divorced in 1981, they had two children: Kira and David. Sandie instilled in them her love of animals (especially Pomeranians!), the value of home ownership, as well as the importance of their Jewish heritage combined with the fun of opening Christmas presents. Both now have families of their own and live in California's San Francisco Bay Area.
Sandie is survived by her children Kira (Mark) Spearman and David Marsyla (Jenni Farrell); 3 grandchildren Beckett Spearman, Elle Marsyla, and Pearl Marsyla; and her former husband, John (Rae Joyce) Marsyla.
Sandie was laid to rest October 12 in Eagan, MN, where she'd lived for more than 30 years. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-aclu
Funeral Home
Simple Traditions by Bradshaw (Saint Paul-Highland)671 Snelling Avenue South
Saint Paul, MN 55116
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