Sandra Laurie (Ramalia) Eckstein, affectionately known as Sandy, was born in Schuyler, Nebraska on April 27, 1945 and passed away after battling ovarian cancer on March 25, 2015. Prior to moving to Brush, Colorado in 1980, she lived for several years in Denver. For most of her years in Brush, she was an active community member - serving as a deacon at Rankin Presbyterian Church and working as a volunteer at the Brush Head Start. Her hobbies included reading, gardening, sewing and caring for animals. She is survived by her eight children and their spouses and eleven grandchildren: Emil Eckstein and Toni Penn of Denver, Mary (Eckstein) & Terry Lohnes of Portland, OR and their sons, Nicholas and Jared; Hope Eckstein and Nathan Montoya of Pueblo and their children Daniel, Khylie'ndra and Jack; Adam Eckstein & Steph Huss of Fort Collins and their son Eli; Lance Eckstein & Jessica Hajek - Hall of Arvada; Heather Eckstein of Massillon, OH and her son Sebastien; Heidi (Eckstein) & Mike Kopetzky of Brush and their children Katrinka, and Reid; and Holly Eckstein & Nick Chestnut of Brush and their children Tobey and Sullivan. She was predeceased by her husband Michael James Eckstein; her beloved parents Everett H. & Evelyn Ramalia; and her sisters Laural Lee and Vickie Jo Ramalia of Schuyler, Nebraska. The family wishes to take this opportunity to thank the doctors and nurses of the following institutes and organizations for their care, kindness and support they offered to Sandy and her family during the course of her illness: Dr. LeBlanc and Colin Greenwood of the Colorado Plains Medical Center, Dr. Behbakht, Sid and staff at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, and Becky, Deb, and Jeanette of Hospice of the Plains. No memorial service will be held in accordance with Sandy's wishes. The family requests memorial gifts be given to the Sandy Eckstein Memorial Fund c/o the Heer Mortuary. The funds will be used to cover outstanding medical bills, given to Hospice of the Plains and to the University of Colorado Cancer Center Fund.