Sandra Hunt Slade December 25, 1941 ~ March 10, 2023

Sandra Hunt Slade was called back to her heavenly home on Friday, March 10, 2023, at the age of 81.

Sandra Hunt was born on December 25, 1941, in the small town of Snowflake, AZ, in her maternal grandmother’s home. She is one of 14 children born to Lehi Orval and Barbara Frost Hunt. There were ten girls and four boys. One of the boys was stillborn and another son died as an infant. Of the remaining twelve, Sandra is the second oldest.

Sandra didn’t have a childhood full of extravagant things or much in the way of material excess, but there was much love and many cherished memories.

Tight French braids are something that Sandra would tell stories about later in life. Her mother, a small but strong woman, had a lot of girls to take care of.

She would frequently put tight French braids in their long hair that would last for days and days. Sandra claimed the braids were so tight they could hardly see the first few days.

She also fondly remembered her mother telling the kids stories of their pioneer ancestors as they gathered around at her feet as she ironed clothing.

Sandra’s dad was a 6’4” lumberjack in the Northern Arizona Mountains of the Kaibab. He would be away from the family during the weekdays for this job.

But every summer, when they weren’t in school, the whole family got to move to the Kaibab with their dad and spend their days playing at the Forest Service Camp where they lived in cabins.

This was a magical time in her childhood. She remembers her dad would always save something in his lunchbox for his kids and they would rush at the end of the day to see what it was.

Christmas was also a magical time in their home, even though they didn’t have much. Frequently they would just have one gift to open, but her memory of those times was of eating, laughing and playing games. Family time was fun time.

Sandra graduated from Snowflake High School in 1959 at the age of 17. She worked several jobs during high school and after, including being a telephone operator. She then decided to become a Cosmetologist and lived for a year in Mesa during her schooling.

She then moved to Springerville, AZ, to work and utilize her new skills. In her life history she says: “I was only employed one week in Springerville when I met Pard Slade. I knew right away he was the one. I told my parents the next day I had found him.

“Our courtship was very fast and furious. We saw each other for two months and seven days when we married on May 5, 1964, in the Mesa Arizona Temple.”
The great duo of “Pard & Sandy” was born.

It wasn’t long after they were married that they decided they wanted their family to grow. After a few years they realized they might not be able to start a family in the traditional sense. So, they started looking into the option of adoption.

Four years into their marriage, they were notified that a baby girl was waiting for them in Phoenix. They just needed to go pick her up.

Sandra tracked down Pard, who was on a horse in the middle of Arizona participating in a reenactment of the Pony Express Ride, and they rushed to Phoenix to pick up Samantha, their first child.

Just 21 months later, the same scenario played out again. Nannette was added, and the family was complete.

Sandra loved being a mom. In the early days, her small family lived in Holbrook, AZ. They were able to convert the garage of their home into a beauty salon, complete with sinks and hair dryers, which allowed her to be home with her girls and work.

In 1979, Pard and Sandra moved their family to Monticello, UT, where they ended spending the rest of their lives.

In Monticello, Sandra started working at the Monticello Elementary School. She was first hired to be the music teacher, which she did for five years.

Music was truly a hallmark of her life. Her whole family was very musical and she and her siblings would frequently gather around the piano and sing as their mom played the piano.

At church, Sandra directed music in different capacities for decades.

After five years as the music teacher, Sandra became the school secretary, a job that she then held for the next 20 years.

She loved working at the school, specifically because of the people that she got to work with. She knew how to have fun, laugh and tease, and also when to call you a “Knot-head,” if that’s what you needed.

Sandra was a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her life history is full of expressions of love for The Gospel of Jesus Christ how it positively impacted her life. She served in many different callings throughout her life, in addition to the musical ones.

Sandra is survived by her children Samantha (Corey) Randolph, of Monticello, and Nannette Shayne (Frank) Nolden, of Conyers, GA, 14 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren (with three on the way).

She is preceded in death by her spouse, James Marvin “Pard” Slade; her parents; her brothers William Hunt and Gerald Hunt; and her sisters Cheryl Burch and Joann Montierth.

A funeral and graveside service will be held in Sandra’s honor on Saturday, March 25 at the Monticello LDS Stake Center and the Monticello Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest.

Sandra’s family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the family and friends who have gone out of their way to show support and love as they have grieved the loss of their mother, grandmother and great grandmother.