Sandra K. Mostoller, 74, died Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at Providence Mt. St. Vincent nursing home in West Seattle where she had resided since 2016. She was a long-time Tacoma attorney.
Sandy had the gift for friendship, for storytelling and for listening. She loved her extended family dearly. Life-long friends knew they could count on her in good times and bad. Among those are Teres and Danny Millar, Jean and Peter Colley, Susan Jensen and Chuck Kleeberg, John Levan, Deborah Cade, Kevin and Cammie Miller, Susan Cruise and Karen Peck. For many years, nearly every Saturday she would get in touch with her extensive circle by phone. She always opened the conversation by saying, “Well, tell all!”
Friends will remember her endless curiosity, deep interest in politics, passion for cats, food and jewelry, and talent for photography. She was brilliant, colorful, imaginative and seldom on time. Her Thanksgiving dinners were not-to-be-missed events, attracting guests from many walks of life. She loved being a hostess and always made everyone feel welcome. She ran for office twice, and joined the late Jim Salatino, an old friend, as a legislative assistant in Olympia when he served as a state representative for the 27th District in Tacoma.
Sandy was born in Somerset, PA. Her family moved to Kennewick in 1950, and she graduated from Kennewick High School in 1964. She lived much of her adult life in the Tacoma area after receiving her undergraduate degree in English Literature and political science from the University of Puget Sound. She earned a Master of Arts for teachers of English from the University of Washington. She taught English, journalism and social studies at Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor before returning to UPS to earn a law degree in 1982, where she served on the Moot Court Board. When she was employed as counsel to the Pierce County Council, she worked on the Puyallup Tribal Land Claims matter. She subsequently established a private law practice and later joined the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel where she used her considerable legal skills to defend the accused. She had great empathy for people, especially those who were poor or who had been discriminated against.
Sandy was a longtime board member of L’Arche Tahoma Hope Community, a non-profit organization housing people with disabilities. She also served on the boards of the Puget Sound Legal Assistance Foundation and Allied Arts. She was a past president of the Peninsula Education Association.
Gerry Flaten of Seattle, Sandy’s sister, survives her along with five nieces and nephews. Gerry was a tireless advocate for Sandy over the last five years of her life, ensuring that she received proper care. Sandy’s brother David Mostoller and sister Janet predeceased her.
Donations in remembrance of Sandy may be made to L’Arche Tahoma Hope or to the Providence Mt. St. Vincent Foundation. Her friends hope to plan a celebration of her life when it is safe to gather.
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