Obituary for Roxanne Cavanaugh Sandlin
Roxanne Cavanaugh Sandlin, 61, died peacefully on March 15, 2022, at her home in Sugar Land, Texas, surrounded by her family. She was born on April 3, 1960, in Denver, Colorado, the daughter of Gerald and Rosella Stremel Cavanaugh. Raised in a strong Catholic faith, she attended Holy Cross Catholic School, graduating from Northglenn High School in 1978.
On August 1, 1981, she married Kenneth Sandlin. After Ken graduated from college the following year, they moved to Houston. Roxanne gladly turned in her snow jacket and boots for sandals, shorts, and a swimsuit, always preferring swimming and snorkeling to anything in the winter.
After moving to Texas, she worked as an engineering technician at Natural Gas Pipeline and later at Dillard’s department store. Having first chosen to pay for her first car instead of going to college, she later decided to go back to school, which made her father very happy. She earned an Associate Degree in Business from Wharton County Junior College in 2005, then a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from the University of Houston-Downtown in 2008, graduating with honors.
Roxanne and Kenneth were blessed with two sons, Nicholas and Stephen. Roxanne enjoyed being a “stay at home mom” who regularly took the boys to parks and museums. She grew up playing outdoors and wanted the boys to enjoy their childhood playing and making new friends. She encouraged them to enjoy their playtime, be adventurous, think creatively, and to be kind to others. She was a loving mother whose kindness and compassion made a lifelong impression on her family.
Roxanne was easy to talk to and often commented how perfect strangers would walk up to her and start a conversation, when she didn’t start it herself. She was fond of taking daily walks and riding her bike around the neighborhood, saying hello to whoever she encountered. A skilled and avid decorator, she loved transforming the home every holiday into someplace festive and cheerful. She held many dear memories from her childhood and adored sharing them to anyone who would listen. She also enjoyed trying her extraordinarily good luck at the gaming tables, amazing everyone who made the mistake of betting against her.
Roxanne will be dearly missed. Her kindness and compassion for others have touched so many people from so many walks of life. She had a wonderful sense of humor and a persistent optimism which always tried to find the joy in life. She is beloved by both her family and her many friends. Roxanne was the engine of her immediate family who enriched the lives of her sons and husband, as well as those of her extensive extended family. There are no words to adequately express our love and gratitude for her. She may no longer be with us in person, but she will always be with us in spirit.
Roxanne is survived by her husband Kenneth, her sons Nicholas and Stephen, her siblings Michael (Toni) Cavanaugh, Kathleen (Tom) Headrick, Mary Ann (Michael) Yudez, Susan (Lou) LaVoie, Paul Cavanaugh, Patricia (Robert) Alvarez, and thirteen nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Gerald and Rosella, her brother John, and her nephew Daniel Cavanaugh.
The memorial service and celebration of Roxanne’s life will be held at St. Laurence Catholic Church on Thursday, March 31st at 10:00 a.m.
On August 1, 1981, she married Kenneth Sandlin. After Ken graduated from college the following year, they moved to Houston. Roxanne gladly turned in her snow jacket and boots for sandals, shorts, and a swimsuit, always preferring swimming and snorkeling to anything in the winter.
After moving to Texas, she worked as an engineering technician at Natural Gas Pipeline and later at Dillard’s department store. Having first chosen to pay for her first car instead of going to college, she later decided to go back to school, which made her father very happy. She earned an Associate Degree in Business from Wharton County Junior College in 2005, then a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from the University of Houston-Downtown in 2008, graduating with honors.
Roxanne and Kenneth were blessed with two sons, Nicholas and Stephen. Roxanne enjoyed being a “stay at home mom” who regularly took the boys to parks and museums. She grew up playing outdoors and wanted the boys to enjoy their childhood playing and making new friends. She encouraged them to enjoy their playtime, be adventurous, think creatively, and to be kind to others. She was a loving mother whose kindness and compassion made a lifelong impression on her family.
Roxanne was easy to talk to and often commented how perfect strangers would walk up to her and start a conversation, when she didn’t start it herself. She was fond of taking daily walks and riding her bike around the neighborhood, saying hello to whoever she encountered. A skilled and avid decorator, she loved transforming the home every holiday into someplace festive and cheerful. She held many dear memories from her childhood and adored sharing them to anyone who would listen. She also enjoyed trying her extraordinarily good luck at the gaming tables, amazing everyone who made the mistake of betting against her.
Roxanne will be dearly missed. Her kindness and compassion for others have touched so many people from so many walks of life. She had a wonderful sense of humor and a persistent optimism which always tried to find the joy in life. She is beloved by both her family and her many friends. Roxanne was the engine of her immediate family who enriched the lives of her sons and husband, as well as those of her extensive extended family. There are no words to adequately express our love and gratitude for her. She may no longer be with us in person, but she will always be with us in spirit.
Roxanne is survived by her husband Kenneth, her sons Nicholas and Stephen, her siblings Michael (Toni) Cavanaugh, Kathleen (Tom) Headrick, Mary Ann (Michael) Yudez, Susan (Lou) LaVoie, Paul Cavanaugh, Patricia (Robert) Alvarez, and thirteen nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Gerald and Rosella, her brother John, and her nephew Daniel Cavanaugh.
The memorial service and celebration of Roxanne’s life will be held at St. Laurence Catholic Church on Thursday, March 31st at 10:00 a.m.