Carol J. Sands

Carol passed away in her home, on February 6th, 2019, with family present. A graveside service was held on February 11th, and she was buried in Rose City Cemetery.

Carol was diagnosed with cancer in October of 2018, was supported by family and hospice at home until her passing.

Carol was born August 5, 1934, in Portland to Dan Marius and Helen LaVerne (Rumbaugh) Nelson. She married Wm. R. Johnson August 3, 1958, in Los Angeles. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1972. She married Pastor G. Dewey Sands on August 4, 1982, in Portland, OR. They served Covenant churches in Providence, Rhode Island, and Moline, Illinois.

Carol studied fashion illustration at Chouinard Art Institute, then worked as a graphic designer until retiring. After retirement in 1993, she began painting in watercolor and acrylics. She took numerous workshops with nationally known artists and was an award winning member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon and the Oregon Society of Artists. She travelled the world and recorded her travels and daily life, in her artworks: “I enjoy painting all subjects in either watercolor or acrylic. I am especially drawn to subjects that express the joy of life and the beauty of nature given to us by the grace of God.”

Surviving family members include: a daughter, Inga Johnson;  two sons, Mons Johnson and Daniel Johnson (spouse Deborah); step-daughter, Evelyn Hackney (spouse Ricco); step-son, Stephen Sands (spouse Suzie); and five grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husbands, William R. and G. Dewey; and a step-daughter, Joyce Bell.