Marialice Catherine O'Keeffe Sandison 1931 - 2022

OKEEFFE, SANDISON, SIMPSON

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 1/9/2023 at 14:34:29

Sioux City Journal
23 October 2022

Marialice Sandison

Sioux City

Marialice Catherine O'Keeffe Sandison was born April 29, 1931 in Omaha to Edena (Simpson) and Elbert O'Keeffe. She was a 1949 graduate of North High School in Omaha, where she was a marksman on the school's rifle team, then graduated from the Bishop Clarkson Memorial School of Nursing with a BSN in 1952. She worked in obstetrics and pediatrics in Omaha for 14 years, then, after moving to Sioux City in 1967, in oncology at Marian Health and as a hospice nurse in Sioux City from 1980 to 1997.

Marialice married William G.M. Sandison Aug. 24, 1953 in Omaha, and they raised six children. She was president of the Hunt School PTA, was a Cub Scouts Den Mother for many years, and served on the YWCA board. She was active in her church, being famous for bringing homemade cinnamon rolls to the church functions, including 150 of them for the annual Easter Sunrise Service, while supporting Methodist organizations such as the UMW Board of First Methodist Church and the Shesler Hall board.

Marialice was an early leader in La Leche League, which provided support to new breast-feeding mothers, and answered phone calls from distraught new mothers in the middle of the night giving advice that helped raise a generation of infants in Sioux City. More than anything, she loved being surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Marialice was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, William G.M. Sandison; her older brother, E. Byron O'Keeffe; her sister-in-law, Mary Alice O'Keeffe; and her son, James Byron Sandison.

She is survived by her son Tom of Falling Waters, W.V.; Bob of Grand Rapids, Mich. (Suzanne); Cathy Lenagh of Golden Valley, Minn. (Peter); Bill of Severna Park, Md. (Colby); John of Spirit Lake, Iowa (Cathy); 11 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.