Sandra Etta Lee Jordan, 85, passed away on Saturday, January 31, 2026.

She was born on July 14, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, to the late Marie Bryant Lee and Talmage E. Lee, Sr.

Sandra was among the first Black students to desegregate Mercy High School in Chicago. She earned her bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University and later received an MFA in Fiber Arts and Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After dedicating herself to putting her two daughters through college, she followed them east, relocating to the Northeast and settling in Wellesley, Massachusetts, in 1993.

Sandra's career was as varied as it was meaningful. She worked as a third- and fifth-grade teacher and art teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, an interior decorator, and later as a librarian at Dana Hall School. It was deeply important to her to make the world a better place. Though a woman of modest means, she was unwavering in her generosity, always giving to those less fortunate and to social causes about which she cared deeply, including After Innocence, the Robin Hood Foundation, and the American Indian College Fund, among others. On a more local level, she volunteered as Head of the Parade Committee for the World of Wellesley.

Sandra is survived by her daughters, Padg and Leeta; her son-in-law, Chris Kovel; her granddaughters, Reese and Sydney Kovel; and her sister, Angela Lee. She was an inspirational and remarkable woman whose warmth, creativity, and kindness left a lasting impression on all who knew her.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to After Innocence , 5230 Boyd Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618-1026.

Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.