A Tribute to Sandra Abernathy as she retires from the Boothbay Region Garden Club
After a 20-year membership in the Boothbay Region Garden Club, Sandy Abernathy has resigned her enrollment as she relocates to Connecticut after the death of her husband, Bob, to live closer to her family. In those 20 years, from 2006 to 2026, Sandy was far more than ‘just’ a member of this club. Upon joining, she immediately embraced a number of club activities, particularly those related to the annual holiday fundraiser, including Santa’s Sweet Shop, Et Cetera, “Kitchen”, Gift Baskets and the Silent Auction. Sandy was part of the evolution of the Festival of Trees and more recently co-chaired the festival itself. For a number of years, Sandy was also the club’s Membership Chair, keeping detailed and up-to-date records of the status of all members as they joined or retired from the club, collecting dues, and welcoming members and guests at the beginning of every meeting. In 2011, Sandy became Treasurer of the garden club, a position she held for 15 years, until her resignation this summer.
The things most notable about Sandy’s participation in all these activities, and particularly as Treasurer, are her dedication to the club’s function, her ethical commitment to every task, and her incredible attention to detail. She always took her responsibilities seriously, while also striving to keep activities enjoyable. Her intelligence and loyalty were evident in everything she contributed. To have become her close friend has been an experience to be treasured. Sandy will be missed and her shoes will be hard to fill. The club will carry on, as it always does, but there will be one bright light missing from its chandelier.
With many thanks to Sandy and all she did for the Boothbay Region Garden Club,
Linda Bonin and Kathleen Marty
