Sandra Crome
Edwardsville |
Sandra Jean MacDonald Crome of Edwardsville, Illinois, died Monday, January 16, 2017. Sandra was born August 25, 1940, in Springfield, IL to Major Robert Harold and Wilma Lee (Buck) MacDonald. She attended college at SIUC where she met her husband, and later attended SIU-Alton/Edwardsville attaining advanced degrees in both Counseling and English literature. She both taught and counseled throughout her career. She enjoyed helping others, as did her mother. Sandra was preceded in death were her daughter, Christina Leigh; a sister, Roberta Lee Dial, as did both her parents. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Wayne Vincent Crome; one son, Angus Crome & wife Connie; two grandchildren, Kayla & Kyle Crome; a brother, Robert Harold MacDonald; a sister, Patty Warren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, January 19, 2017, at Weber & Rodney Funeral Home in Edwardsville. Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday at the funeral home with Rev. John Shank officiating. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery. In lieu of gifts or flowers the family requests that you donate to the Alzheimer’s Association in the name of Sandra Crome. Sandra Crome “My friend, my partner, my Love” The very best half of me left this earth last night, leaving me rudderless in a sea of confusion. My beautiful wife, Sandee, was finally overcome by that horrible disease, Alzheimer’s. The poet W. H. Auden said: “I thought that love would never die, but I was wrong.” My world will never be the same. Sandee’s was the strong, sure hand that guided me, our family, our extended family and a host of others who sought her council. She was the problem solver. This is not exactly an obituary; it is more a love letter to my wife. One that should have been written years ago. I don’t count an impassioned offer of undying love I gave to an unimpressed sixth grader named Mary Lou. She proceeded to tear up said letter, wadded it into a ball and threw it back, missing me and hitting our teacher, Miss Agatha Litherland, in the right eye. Of course, this resulted in a trip to the principal’s office for both of us. I gave up the pursuit of women for some years after that … until the early morning hours of December 17th, 1962, in a Carbondale diner by the railroad station, called Flo’s Café. Sandee went there, after her shift as a cocktail waitress at the Cypress Lounge, to have an early breakfast. I, for the same reason. We were introduced by a mutual acquaintance, talked for several hours, and I walked her back to her apartment. Not yet ready to leave her, I sat her on the cold December back stop of her apartment, staring at the stars and explained the universe to her, and our purpose in it. She listened intently and then announced that we should be a couple … and so we were. Fifty four years, and never apart. I wish I could say they were blissful years, but they weren’t, at least not always. We fought, we never had enough money, Sandee survived a terrible auto accident and we lost our baby girl ‘Christina’. But, there was good also. We have a wonderful son ‘Angus’, daughter-in-law ‘Connie’, granddaughter ‘Kayla’ and grandson ‘Kyle’. We had each other for fifty four years. Best friends. Often I would look up from reading to find Sandee staring at me intently, her eyes glistening. “What are you looking at”, I would say? “You”, she would reply. “I love to look at you. I love you.” Even now, looking at her empty chair, I can almost see her still looking at me as if I were the most wonderful man in the world. Young people search many years for what was handed to me for the taking, on that cold December night. For that I am forever grateful. I am a lucky man. Sleep well, sweetheart, with our little girl in your arms. Keep each other company until I join you for our eternal rest. I love you. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Sandra J. Crome please visit our Sympathy Store.
Weber & Rodney Funeral Home
