Sue Harris
Columnist
September 23, 2008 11:43 pm
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Sandy “Sassy” Tykol was a mighty lady. Make no mistake about it; her diminutive size was no indication of her power.
My mother always said “Beauty is as beauty does,” and Sandy was the epitome of that philosophy. She was not only a physical beauty but also possessed the most beautiful attitude about life.
There is no simple and easy way to describe Sandy. Her family always came first which is as it should be, and she also was willing to give an incredible amount of her personal time to the Master Gardener program.
I once encouraged her to let me nominate her for the next Huntsville Leadership Institute class, knowing that her natural leadership abilities would contribute a great deal to the program. Her response was “No, not now.”
She then shook her finger at me (as only Sandy could do so well) and added “I only do one thing at a time…but I do it very, very well!” Indeed she did.
I first met Sandy when she attended the orientation for the 2005 Master Gardener class.
At the time, I thought what a delightfully cute little lady she was and how infectious a smile she beamed throughout the day. I had no idea of the impact she’d have on my life. Her spirit for life was truly amazing.
The Master Gardeners have a weekly workday each Thursday where gardens are weeded, new flowers are planted and there is a buzz of various activities in the greenhouse. On one particular Thursday when Jean Marsh was out of town, I was the “senior” Master Gardener in the greenhouse.
Jean, as always, was thoughtful enough to leave a list of chores which needed to be done. Now, you must realize that I didn’t know much about any of the Interns yet, and when Sandy asked what she could do, I had her tidying up our pot storage area.
Yup, that very knowledgeable gardener, designer and artist was busy as a bee organizing and straightening pots, sweeping floors, etc., never complaining that any task was too menial.
She always had on her “Sandy Smile” and her cheerful demeanor spread throughout the group like a wildfire. She made an immediate and everlasting impact on the Walker County Master Gardeners.
Sometime later, I was in the storage room (which is shared by the Master Gardeners and 4-H groups) at the Extension Office and saw a very large wooden cabinet. It wasn’t in the best of shape and bordered on being a real eyesore, but we were in desperate need for storage in the greenhouse.
I asked County Agent Reggie Lepley if we could have it; when he agreed, we had it moved to the greenhouse.
I mentioned that we might paint it and that I had some gardening stencils if someone would like to take on that task.
Sandy volunteered, never once telling me that she was such a talented and accomplished artist. Imagine my complete surprise when it was returned to the greenhouse, beautifully repaired and painted, complete with a lovely garden scene on the doors done by Sandy. She smiled at my delight and very quietly handed me those gardening stencils and said “Sue, I don’t think we’ll need these.” I still have the stencils.
A few years ago, Sandy was presenting a workshop on decorating for the holidays using natural things, such as pine needles, pine cones, etc. I helped her carry in all her props and set them up for the demonstration; she realized that she’d forgotten to bring her purse, so I told her I’d follow her home to make certain she arrived safely; as we were whipping down Veterans Memorial exceeding the speed limit, I was saying a very loud prayer that she wouldn’t be stopped for speeding.
I called her after arriving home and reminded her that she didn’t have her driver’s license with her and that it probably was tempting fate to speed; she assured me that she was well within the speed limit!
The first time I met George, Sandy was working in the greenhouse and he was building an arbor between the parking lot and the demonstration gardens.
He needed someone to help him hold up the frame, and I told him how nice I thought it was that he was doing this for us. George told me that when Sandy was involved in something, so was he.
That, folks, is indicative of just how wonderful a couple George and Sandy are, for they will always be a couple. I’m often talking about how much the Master Gardeners have given to Walker County; what you see is how great the guidance and influence of the Tykols has been.
Sandy was President of the Walker County Master Gardeners from January, 2006 to December of 2007. She exhibited incredibly strong and effective leadership skills and set a standard of commitment and dedication which served us all well during her administration. She was sharing, strong, loving and as good a friend as anyone could ever hope for. Sandy had the courage of her convictions, was strongly opinionated and incredibly dedicated to the greater good of the organization. She often kept me in line, and I’m glad she did.
Having Sandy in our lives was an eternal blessing. I’m quite certain that she’s in heaven now, flapping her wings and organizing her new butterfly garden. What a hard act to follow!
My heartfelt condolences go out to George, who is as wonderful as Sandy, daughter Hettie, son Matthew and grandchildren Lacey, Evan, Travis and Nathan. She’s left you with an incredible legacy. God must have needed her presence in heaven.
The Walker County Master Gardeners will provide a luncheon for family and friends following the memorial service for Sandy on Saturday at a.m. The luncheon will be served in the social hall of the First United Methodist Church, at the corner of Sam Houston and 11th Street.
Since many of our Master Gardeners are still without power and Internet services, they are asked to call the following persons to volunteer with help for the lunch.
Coffee, tea and water: Maryann Readal, 891-5024 or Jan Stanley, 891-7768. Fruit and cheese: Dianne Laskie, 594-5568 or Linda Moore, 594-3982. Finger sandwiches: Mary Laurent, 291-3751; Lois Friday, 291-9412; Evelyn Dawson, 295-1493 or Katherine Richmond, 436-9606. Desserts: Beckie Akin, 291-9889 or Peggy Bennett, 293-1855.
Master Gardeners are asked to wear their gold sunshine shirts; Sandy used to say that we looked like a bunch of sunflowers when we wore them as a group.
The idea of the WCMGA giving scholarships to area youth was Sandy’s concept. In her honor, memorial donations may be made to the Walker County Master Gardener Association (WCMGA) – “Sandy Tykol Scholarship Fund”, 102 TAM Road, Huntsville, Texas 77320.
I love you, Sandy.
“A garden really lives insofar as it is an expression of faith, the embodiment of a hope and a song of praise.”
— Russell Page
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