WELD — Sandi Chipman of Weld died peacefully early Monday morning, Sept. 3, surrounded by her Pinewood Terrace friends. Sandi lived at Pinewood Terrace for six years after her mind succumbed to early onset frontotemporal dementia.
A graduate of Penn State, Sandi moved to Weld in 1966 with her husband, Don Chipman. The two met in New York City (at a bar) while Sandi was a stewardess and Don a Navy ensign. Having lived in cities her whole life, she at first found rural Maine to be daunting and unfamiliar terrain, but she quickly made friends and became very active in the Weld community to which she remained devoted.
Folks came to realize she was a force to be reckoned with, as she was a tireless volunteer with wit, enthusiasm and energy for all projects she took on. One of her greatest accomplishments was her service with the Weld Fire Department (she was the department’s first female member), where she started the first responder program, bringing emergency medical care closer to home. She taught many CPR classes, served on the Franklin County Animal Shelter board and spent countless hours volunteering for numerous other community causes.
Sandi worked as a medical assistant over the course of three decades in several Farmington area medical practices. Writing her obituary is a tall task, as Sandi was a well-known writer for the Franklin Journal for more than 30 years. She enjoyed sharing Weld news and stories of her cross-country trips on the motorcycle with Don. Ironically, she considered herself a “homebody” and hated leaving home, but those trips were some of her fondest memories.
Sandi was a talented seamstress and quilter, and she was generous in sharing her creations; those whom she loved most have a memento made by her. She also loved all of God’s creatures large and small, hence the “Chipmanagerie” homestead where she presided over a veritable Noah’s Ark of dogs, cats, horses, sheep, rabbits and assorted barnyard fowl, much to the disgruntlement of her husband. You name the critter, and it probably sojourned at the Chipman place at some point in time. Sandi loved the wildlife as well that abounds in Weld, and took great pleasure in sightings of deer, moose and other fauna during her early morning walks on the Temple Road.
Sandi is survived by her two children: Brian Chipman, his wife, Shelly, and son, Charlie, live in New Gloucester; her daughter, Becky Bell, husband, John, and son, Riley, live in Weld.
She was predeceased by her husband, Don, in 2016.
She was a wonderful mom, friend and community member; she loved us all well. Her generous and loving spirit will always be an inspiration to those whose lives she touched. Saying goodbye to someone with dementia is a long and difficult and at times even humorous path, and her family is ever-grateful for all the friends who have helped along the way.
Our heartfelt thanks to the Pinewood Terrace staff who cared for and loved her and helped maintain her dignity to the very end, and to Androscoggin Home Health & Hospice for the invaluable assistance through Sandi’s final days.
There will be no services, but as she was passionate about animals, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in her memory to the Franklin County Animal Shelter, 550 Industry Road, Farmington, ME 04938. Condolences and tributes may be shared with the family on her memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com.
Cremation care has been provided by the Wiles Remembrance Center/Adams-McFarlane Chapel, 137 Farmington Falls Road, Farmington.
Sandi Chipman
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