Sandra Petertyl Hill
Sandy, the first of two children, was born to Willard and Camilla Petertyl in Traverse City, Michigan. She enjoyed her early childhood years living on the shores of Long Lake, where she spent her days fishing, exploring and sailing. As a child, she was chosen Cherry Princess for the Traverse City Annual Cherry Festival.
After her parents’ divorce, Sandy moved with her mother to Santa Barbara, California and graduated with honors from Santa Barbara High School. Soon after, she was introduced to her future husband, Stanley D. Hill, by his sister Donna. Stan and Sandy married in 1948 and raised three children, Leslie, Randy and Erika, while they dedicated their weekends to building a Mexican hacienda-style home on East Mountain Drive. Sandy immersed herself in many creative activities. Her hobbies included reading, plein-air painting, beekeeping, raising chickens, growing herbs, vegetables and orchard fruits, gardening, and cooking delicious meals for friends and family.
She was an avid birdwatcher and identifier of local flora and wildlife, and volunteered as a Santa Barbara Botanic Garden docent working with a group of her botanist friends on a UCSB Herbarium project collecting, preparing and identifying native plants along the Gaviota Coast.
Sandy was predeceased by her son, Randy in August 2007, and by her husband, Stan in December 2008. She is survived by her daughters, Leslie (and her husband Arturo Flores) and Erika (and her husband Bruce Reitherman and their daughter, Camilla). Sandy is also survived by her granddaughter Shannon Hill, as well as her nieces and nephews Melissa Avery, Leslie Young, Carrie Hill, Christian Hill, Stuart Kneeland, Marshall Kneeland, Sally Petru, Nancy Whitelock and their families.
Sandy and her family deeply appreciate her caregivers Rose Andongo, Rosa Garcia and especially the staff at Villa Alamar for all of the loving attention they devoted to her the final year of her long and fruitful life.
Instead of flowers, please make a donation to Planned Parenthood or the charity of your choice. A private memorial for Sandy will be held at a later date.