Sandra Lynn Sturdivant Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Obituary Sandra Lynn Sturdivant, the daughter of the late O.C. and Jean Sturdivant, was born on September 18, 1947, in Birmingham, Alabama. She was the eldest of four children. When she was a toddler, Lynn, as she was fondly called, moved with her parents to New Homestead, Pennsylvania. She attended Hayes Elementary school until the family moved to West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Lynn accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized at First Baptist Church of West Mifflin. Shortly after, she became a member of Elizabeth Nesmith African Methodist Episcopal Church, formerly Sims Chapel AME. A studious and creative child, Lynn showed early promise as an artist. Ballet, piano, and French horn were among her many creative talents. However, it was the visual arts that captured her heart. After graduating from West Mifflin North High School in 1965, Lynn attended The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. While there, she excelled in illustration (fashion, still life, landscape, packaging, and advertising). Lynn was expertly skilled in various mediums, including conté, charcoal, pastel, acrylic, watercolor, and oil color paint. She saw beauty in everything around her and never missed an opportunity to capture it in her sketch pad, which was her constant companion. Lynn’s art achievements were many and included an award-winning mural depicting the Pittsburgh landscape with the Washington Incline. That mural was prominently displayed in the Allegheny Center Mall for years. After graduating from The Art Institute with an Associate degree in Fashion Design and Illustration, Lynn continued her education at Conley Trade School, graduating with a technical drafting certificate. She also excelled in her studies at Conley, having a deep appreciation for the beauty of the precision required in drafting. Her love for the creative arts led her to study at the Manchester Craftmen’s Guild, now known as the Manchester Bidwell Corporation. There she studied ceramics and sculpture. Lynn used these acquired skills to design pottery and jewelry, which family and friends will cherish for years to come. While pursuing her many creative interests, Lynn found employment at John J. Kane Regional Center, where she worked as a nursing assistant for 15 years. Lynn’s compassion and the gift of helps made this position a perfect fit for her. She would often talk about the patients and the joy it brought her in bringing comfort to those in need. Her genuine kindness and generosity were the reason the patients trusted and adored Lynn. When possible, she would sit with patients transitioning from this world to the next so they wouldn’t be alone in their last moments. A natural caregiver, Lynn desired to give the patients the best care she could. She entered the nursing program at Community College of Allegheny County and proudly graduated with an Associate degree in nursing. In 1986, Lynn joined the staff of Turtle Creek MHMR as a Direct Support Professional. Her heart found its home working with persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Using her vast creative skills, Lynn provided her clients with art therapy and unconditional acceptance and love. Always desiring to increase her skills in caring for others, Lynn began her studies at the University of Pittsburgh. She graduated in 2003, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services. Lynn would always create beauty around her through her art. Yet, she considered her most beautiful creation to be her three children, Amber, Justin, and Courtney. Lynn doted on her children. Humble when it came to her accomplishments, she didn’t hold back on the boasting when it came to her babies. There was no achievement too small; Lynn was proud of her children and made sure they (and everybody else) knew it. She lavished them with attention and made certain they never wanted for anything. Lynn’s children never had a hair out of place and were dressed as if they had just stepped off of the pages of a magazine. When her grandsons were born, Lynn was in seventh heaven! She was a fierce protector of her children and grandchildren, and she wouldn’t hesitate to put her own life on the line for theirs. To say Lynn was an excellent cook is an understatement. She could throw down in the kitchen! Lynn’s sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, and cakes had no rival, and people in the neighborhood would knock on her door when they caught the aroma of her lasagna as it baked in the oven. Lynn was loving, kind, compassionate, and forgiving. She had a Christ-like ability to accept people just as they are. Children saw her as the neighborhood Mom and flocked to her home because they knew it was a safe place. Her family home was always filled with music, laughter, art, and unbridled joy. Lynn was highly intelligent, an excellent seamstress, jewelry maker, and a jack-of-all-trades. There was nothing around the house she couldn’t fix, be it plumbing, electrical, or carpentry. At her core, Lynn was a nerd! She loved attaining knowledge and could hold deep conversations on science, history, space, and nature. Lynn absolutely loved nature. She would sit for hours, taking in the nature around her, then spend hours more researching what she saw. Lynn was an avid Star Trek fan and enjoyed movies and books on science fiction. She would get especially excited discussing Fibonacci numbers. Yes, she was a nerd! Lynn touched the lives of so many, far and near. The testament to her strength and unconditional love resides in her children. And she was the best big sister anyone could ever hope for. In the early morning hours of Monday, November 16, 2020, Lynn took flight into the loving arms of Jesus. She is preceded in eternal life by her parents and brother Otis. She leaves to carry on her legacy her three children, whom she cherished: Amber, Justin, and Courtney. She also leaves two adoring grandchildren, Donovan and Julian; two loving sisters, Marcia (Larry) and Kimberley; one niece, Naima; three nephews, Larry, Jr., George, and Marshall; two great-nieces, Jazmine and Jordan; special cousins, the Barron family; a very dear friend and confidant, Claudette Taylor; and a host of other family and friends.

Tributes

Sandra Lynn Sturdivant

September 18, 1947 - November 16, 2020