Sandra Norris Palmore, 83, of Hancock, passed away at home on April 22, 2022, after a long illness.
Sandra was preceded in death by sister Andrea Coggeshall.
She is survived by her life partner, Dennis Maurizi; daughter, Dr. Tara Coste of Topsham, Maine; granddaughter, Cassandra Grey Maurizi Coste (Margaret Knowles) of New York City, and sister Roberta Norris-Norvoll (Tom Norris-Norvoll) of Burnsville, Minnesota.
Sandra attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and completed her post-graduate work at the University of Chicago, where she graduated with honors.
She spent many years as a librarian at the Skokie Public Library in Skokie, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, before becoming head librarian and competitive intelligence expert at the Boston Consulting Group/Chicago.
Sandra was born in Dayton, Ohio, and lived for a time in both Malaya and Hawaii before settling in the Chicago area. In the 1970’s, she and Dennis not only fell in love with each other, but with Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, as well. They began hiking Isle Royale, and quickly discovered they both were Yoopers at heart. Winter Carnival became an annual must-see during Tara’s years at Michigan Tech University.
After her retirement, Sandra relocated to Hancock in the year 2000. Dennis was able to follow shortly after.
Sandra was an avid reader and master gardener. She was thrilled when her garden was included on the area’s annual Garden Walk. She was proud to be a board member of the Houghton-Keweenaw Conservation District for more than a decade.
Sandra was also an artist, and had her paintings selected for multiple juried art shows. Her work was chosen for the prestigious art prize competition in Grand Rapids, four consecutive years. The international event draws 500,000 visitors annually. Sandra’s art earned awards from the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art in Brownsville, Texas, and the Bonifas Art Center in Escanaba, among others.
Sandra was a lifelong bird watcher. For 48 straight years, she and Dennis would race to Canada’s Point Pelee National Park, east of Detroit, to watch the spring migration and argue over bird identifications. Sandra usually won the debate. Their five-day record was 165 different species.
No matter where she lived, Sandra was never without her cats.
She will be missed by all who knew her, worked with her, and loved her. She considered her many Upper Peninsula friends among the most valued in her entire life, especially her group of Gal Pals.
Viewing followed by a short memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 26, at Memorial Chapel, 1017 W. Quincy Street, Hancock. In accordance with her wishes, at a later date, Sandra’s ashes will be scattered in what she considered to be the most beautiful lake in the world, Lake Superior.
Dennis hopes that whenever you think about Sandra, it will make you smile.
