Sandra Anne Kelly

Sandra Anne Kelly, known as Sandy, passed away at St. Luke's Medical Center in Ketchum on September 4th from an aggressive metastatic cancer. She was surrounded by family, and went on to her next adventure with no regrets and filled with all of the love in the world.

 Sandy passed away 3 months after her original diagnosis in June. She was an only child born on June 4th, 1960, and raised by her beloved parents Beth and Howard Detro in Saratoga, California. She was 62 years old at the time of her passing. Sandy spent her childhood, along with the rest of her life, always looking for the next adventure, stirring up trouble, and making friends wherever she went. She moved to Hailey in 1989, where she has been a dedicated resident of the valley for 33 years.

Sandy cherished her friends and family more than anything. Those that were close to her knew that she gave everything and then some into her relationships. She was a giver through and through. Whether that was a meal left on your doorstep, a handwritten note for every birthday, a spontaneous call on a Tuesday afternoon, a gift delivered just because she was thinking of you, or a simple hug and some kind words, everyone in Sandys presence felt cared for. Even her many many pets - too many dogs, cats, fish, even hermit crabs to count, felt every ounce of her love. Sandy was unapologetically herself, 100% of the time. Her community surrounded her during her last few months. She received countless phone calls, postcards, flower deliveries, and visitors. Not a day went by that she was not celebrated.

Sandy had a passion for all things nature. She loved hiking, camping, trail running, cross country/downhill skiing, hotspringing, gardening, collecting rocks/crystals from all over, playing soccer, lounging on the beach, and traveling. She had a special home at the river and in the mountains. Some of Sandy’s best adventures include skiing and living in Switzerland for a year, teaching ski lessons in Squaw Valley, Grateful Dead and Rolling Stone concerts, river guiding in Stanley, backpacking in the Sawtooths, traveling around the world, and camping trips with her daughter. Sandy said yes to any invite to go out on the town. You would find Sandy at every live music event in the valley. Her life motto was to dance like nobody was watching. She enjoyed plays, art and music festivals, antique markets, local shops, and most of all she loved a good parade. This last summer was spent with a trip to the river almost every day, attending every live music event, sharing time, memories, and stories with her friends and family, and enjoying every second of life.

Living in Sandy’s memory are her three children, triplets by the names of River, Sage, and Timber Kelly, and her parents Beth and Howard. Anyone who met Sandy knew that her children were her most prized possessions. A single mom that gave them the world. She was above all the most resilient, compassionate, selfless, and quirky mom that any of her children could have asked for. She attended every soccer game, delivered a home cooked lunch to school every day, celebrated all of the small things, and worked tirelessly to make all of her children’s dreams come true. As many of you know from her most recent renowned holiday card update, Timber has returned to live back in Hailey, moving from Denver, River is happy and settled in Bozeman with his dog Rawki, and Sage is following in his mom’s California roots by living in San Francisco. She will be incredibly missed by her family.

A celebration of life will be held on September 24th at 4 pm. The celebration will take place at the Kelly home at 106 N Angela Dr. in Hailey. Her family asks that you wear something fun (a funky hat, your party pants, etc) to honor her lively and fun-loving spirit. The brighter the better. The celebration will begin at her house, and will progress into a short parade down to the river. Anyone who felt touched by Sandy’s spirit is welcome to attend. Please come and see your neighbors, and as Sandy would say you could possibly meet your new best friend.