Sandra L. Thompson

Sandra (Elwell) Thompson passed away at Kent County Hospital on Thursday April 22, 2021, with her husband, Gerald at her side. Sandra was born on January 18, 1942 in Providence RI and was the daughter of Virginia (Lyle) Elwell and Frederick Elwell. She grew up in Wickford, RI and graduated from East Greenwich High School.  There she met and married high school sweetheart, Gerald Thompson.

In Sandra’s life, she held many roles: wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and friend. She was naturally artistic and applied her many talents toward sewing, knitting, and flower arranging among other things. She had an appetite for reading and took night courses to become an amateur yet skilled chef. She enjoyed any excuse to gather around a dinner table and spent many hours preparing extravagant meals for her family. Sandra’s interest in the visual and culinary arts, strong family bond and love of togetherness inspired her children and grandchildren to follow in her footsteps.

Sandra was an underwater enthusiast, and loved to travel.  She studied and practiced scuba diving and on one occasion, she stumbled upon the opportunity to become an amateur shark wrestler. Sandra was given the nickname “Bobo Cousteau” for her love of the ocean and was argued to be a younger yet lesser known distant relative to Jacques Cousteau in spirit if not in body alone.

Sandra loved plants and worked alongside her husband, Jerry, at Briarbrook Farm.  Her infectious smile, warm lunches and positive attitude made everyone, family, employees, and customers alike, feel truly welcomed and appreciated.

Sandra is survived by her husband Gerald and their four children and their families: daughter Dianne (Thompson) Hutton and husband Michael, daughter Lisa (Thompson) Samek and husband Gary, son, Stephen and wife Mia, and son James Thompson. She also leaves behind her loving grandchildren Kelsey (Samek) and husband Kevin Simmons, Christopher Samek, Violet and Oliver Thompson. Sandra is also survived by her brother, Edward Elwell, his wife Beverly and daughter Heather.

Visitation will be held from 4pm to 7pm on Thursday April 29, at Hill Funeral Home, 822 Main St., East Greenwich.  Her funeral service will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, act.alz.org .