Kathleen Elise Sandick – August 17 1954 – April 24 2026
It is with profound sadness that I write about the loss of my beloved friend and family member, Kathleen “Bella” Sandick, who lost her battle with Alzheimer’s disease yesterday, April 24, 2026.
My Bella was a joyous woman, who came into my life upon meeting and marrying my Professor. We became fast friends, the kind you read about in girlfriend novels. Kathleen was full of merriment, she could evoke a belly laugh from me at any given moment, and her loyalty was legendary. She was, in many ways, a muse to me, being the most supportive of my fans and followers. Always full of encouragement and delight with every sentence I wrote, she took much joy in being beside me in the role of muse imagining out loud the great things we would do as a result. She was like no other when it came to this kind of support and devotion. As I said, her loyalty was legendary.
I wrote many stories about her, but as most of you readers know, the identity of the characters in my stories have special names I have assigned to them. Bella was the name I handed Kathleen from the get-go. She was a true-blue Italian girl born and bred in New York. She was a fashionista and her style was her enviable. I often teased her about her being “perfectly presented” – every crease and pleat neatly placed, her perfectly coiffed hair nary a strand out of place. What she saw in me I will never know, the perfectly imperfect soul often put together with safety pins, but my goodness…that gal loved me to pieces and I loved her without exception.
Oh, the adventures we experienced; the deep and enduring memories we made together. Our travels; the many City excursions we shared; her battle with breast cancer and the way she showed up always perfectly put together without complaint. The way she shared her daughter with me – her only child, her generosity in that regard was beyond remarkable given I was a childless soul. The list is long and full and I am grateful today as a pour over the thousands of photos of us together, each one holding a special memory.
My sadness has not had enough time to lift; it’s just been 24 hours. Late last night, in the inky dark stillness she came to me as I requested when I learned she was gone. The spiritual visit was unmistakable. In the midnight hour, a song delivered from a bird of prey deep up on the branches of the mighty Oak tree that stands guard over my property. An owl, with its strong body and soft feathers calling out to me over and over in a song delivered to me in what was unmistakably Kathleen’s voice. I sat and listened for a long while and let it resonate in my heart and soul until it softly subsided and I could no longer hear her chant. I rose from my chair and went inside to bed comforted by the way she came to me.
My God has granted me such goodness in my life, and I try always to be worthy of that Love. One of the greatest things He granted me was the love from this remarkable woman. I will miss her every single day I have left on this earth. Dance on my Bella, your reign on this earth was perfect! ♥