Lorraine Townshend Sandra

Dearest RIP wishes to our beautiful shining star, who is Sandra!
From the first moment I met you, I was so in awe of you! & your awesome Mum! Dancing in TipToze, you totally kicked ass! Your beauty not only shone through dance, it inspired a whole entire generation including me! You gave me courage to go on & pursure my own creative career abroad. I was so stoked when you invited me to join your Head over Heelz professional dance troupe, what an amazing journey I had with you! All the fun professional performances at Rosie's, The Pumphouse, Glen Eden Playhouse productions (GREASE is the word!!!) then to be chosen to go on tour with you guys! Truly one of the most inspiring NZ choreographer, dancer & professional company owners of your time!!!
I have worked for over a decade in the UK with iconic dance company Sadlers Wells in London. I lost touch with Sandra being away for so long but I thankyou forevers Sandra, for inspiring me to pursue all my creative adventures. I would love to share some photos & stories with your beautiful family & friends, if there a way to personally connect with your Cam & boys, ill bring it!!!
Thankyou for such a wonderful sendoff for such an amazing lady ❤️ 💖 💕

Arohanui ki te whānau. I was so sorry that I couldn’t be there in person today, and I was very grateful to be able to join you all online and farewell beautiful Sandra.

I’m Carol Valerie Wrathall, and I was named after Sandra’s nana, Valerie TeAotonga, who lived behind our home in Glass Road. When Sandra came to stay with her nana as a child, I would go up and play with her, often with Sheree Caldwell from down the road. Such lovely childhood memories to still be able to carry all these years later. Sandra would say bring your Barbie dolls but I never had any but I did have a horse across the rd in the paddock, she never came to ride my horse :-) funny

I remember Aunty Shirley with so much warmth too, such a gorgeous, wonderful woman. And Uncle Rick and the Cars :-) Only a couple of months ago, at my own mum’s funeral, I was with Uncle John and Aunty Lorraine and we were talking about Sandra. It seems incredible that today we were farewelling her. Aunty Lorraine and Uncle John will fill you in on the connection.

The service was absolutely beautiful, as Sandra was throughout her life I heard, also the photos were great, I watched until the Funeral Home stopped the vids, I so loved the last pic of Aunty Lorraine and Sandra xx Sending all my love and deepest condolences to the whānau. I’m so grateful I could be there with you online today and pay my respects in an online way.

Moe mai rā e Sandra. Haere, haere, haere atu rā. ❤️

Carol Valerie Wrathall

Love you, Auntie Sandra. We will miss your beautiful smile so much. I’ll always remember painting our nails together and those special little moments we shared.

Love you always,
Your flower girl, Mackenzie x