Obituary for Sandra Lee Wood
Sandra Lee (Blome) Wood, 84, of Gilbertsville, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at home with her husband by her side. She was the loving wife of Robert R. Wood, with whom she shared 53 years of marriage.
Born in Reading, she was the daughter of the late Catharine V. (Reinert), a dancer with Pearle Haines Pollyannas, and the late J. Richard Blome, a sign painter and nephew of world-famous Bard Brothers Acrobats.
Sandra graduated from Reading High School in 1956, Kutztown University in 1960 with a degree in Art Education and in 1965 she graduated from Kutztown University with her Master’s in Education. Mrs. Wood was a dedicated art teacher in the Boyertown School District from 1960 to 2000. She was also the Boyertown School District Supervisor of Art from 1982-1995. Along with teaching in the Boyertown School District, she taught evening classes at Kutztown University from 2001-2002 and was a student teaching mentor from 1964-2000 also at Kutztown University. She also served as an independent consultant for Crayola from 2002-2014.
Additionally, she was the Summer Supervisor of Handicraft for 42 playgrounds in the city of Reading from 1958-1960.
She has been a lifetime member of the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) having been on the Board for many years in different capacities. In addition, she has been a presenter in many of the national and local conventions and conferences.
Mrs. Wood was a dedicated and much-loved teacher who was honored with many achievement awards by PAEA and others throughout her teaching career. These include, Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Supervisor, Outstanding Retired Art Educator, and she was installed Fellow and Outstanding Eastern Region Educator by the National Art Education Association.
Following retirement from teaching after 40 years, she pursued watercolor painting while taking instructions from many national known watercolorists and exhibited in local venues.
Mrs. Wood is known by her students for her hand- puppet, Ollie Frog, who traveled the world documenting art things to be used in teaching via photos, slides, and videos. Many remember the all-school wedding of Ollie and Clara Jean with 70 sixth graders in the wedding party. Her flair for entertaining started as a child who gathered neighborhood children to create and perform for whoever would gather. Proceeds went to the purchase of a toy for a polio victim. By junior high and high school, she performed and choregraphed dance routines and designed the set for the high school senior play. In addition, in 1965, she started acting at Dutch Country Playhouse, later the Pumpernickle Players, Janis Players, Alpha Omega Players, Allentown Civic Opera, and lastly, Reading Civic Opera. She studied acting at Hedgerow Theater with famous teacher, Jasper Deeter.
Travel was another passion for Sandy. She claimed to have been in all major and minor museums in Europe having traveled in tours with Kutztown University art professor, Dr. Schantz. In addition, she traveled with the National Art Association, People to People International, several commercial companies, plus many artist group painting encampments in Europe and Mexico. Along with experiencing all the special visiting highlights in any travel brochure, she has had unusual experiences such as having dinner in the Great Hall of China in Beijing, being tossed off a camel in Egypt, and riding elephants in India.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 PM on October 1, 2023 at The Loft at Sweet Water, 2556 Geryville Pike, Pennsburg, PA 18073. The doors will open at 1 PM for friends to visit with the family. Arrangements are entrusted to Mann-Slonaker Funeral Home, East Greenville, PA. You may offer condolences and share memories with the family by visiting www.mannslonakerfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation in memory of Sandy to the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA). You can send a check made out to PAEA directly to the treasurer with Sandy's name in the memo line and sent to Jess Alesso, 3001 Dutch Road. Fairview, PA 16415.
Born in Reading, she was the daughter of the late Catharine V. (Reinert), a dancer with Pearle Haines Pollyannas, and the late J. Richard Blome, a sign painter and nephew of world-famous Bard Brothers Acrobats.
Sandra graduated from Reading High School in 1956, Kutztown University in 1960 with a degree in Art Education and in 1965 she graduated from Kutztown University with her Master’s in Education. Mrs. Wood was a dedicated art teacher in the Boyertown School District from 1960 to 2000. She was also the Boyertown School District Supervisor of Art from 1982-1995. Along with teaching in the Boyertown School District, she taught evening classes at Kutztown University from 2001-2002 and was a student teaching mentor from 1964-2000 also at Kutztown University. She also served as an independent consultant for Crayola from 2002-2014.
Additionally, she was the Summer Supervisor of Handicraft for 42 playgrounds in the city of Reading from 1958-1960.
She has been a lifetime member of the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) having been on the Board for many years in different capacities. In addition, she has been a presenter in many of the national and local conventions and conferences.
Mrs. Wood was a dedicated and much-loved teacher who was honored with many achievement awards by PAEA and others throughout her teaching career. These include, Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Supervisor, Outstanding Retired Art Educator, and she was installed Fellow and Outstanding Eastern Region Educator by the National Art Education Association.
Following retirement from teaching after 40 years, she pursued watercolor painting while taking instructions from many national known watercolorists and exhibited in local venues.
Mrs. Wood is known by her students for her hand- puppet, Ollie Frog, who traveled the world documenting art things to be used in teaching via photos, slides, and videos. Many remember the all-school wedding of Ollie and Clara Jean with 70 sixth graders in the wedding party. Her flair for entertaining started as a child who gathered neighborhood children to create and perform for whoever would gather. Proceeds went to the purchase of a toy for a polio victim. By junior high and high school, she performed and choregraphed dance routines and designed the set for the high school senior play. In addition, in 1965, she started acting at Dutch Country Playhouse, later the Pumpernickle Players, Janis Players, Alpha Omega Players, Allentown Civic Opera, and lastly, Reading Civic Opera. She studied acting at Hedgerow Theater with famous teacher, Jasper Deeter.
Travel was another passion for Sandy. She claimed to have been in all major and minor museums in Europe having traveled in tours with Kutztown University art professor, Dr. Schantz. In addition, she traveled with the National Art Association, People to People International, several commercial companies, plus many artist group painting encampments in Europe and Mexico. Along with experiencing all the special visiting highlights in any travel brochure, she has had unusual experiences such as having dinner in the Great Hall of China in Beijing, being tossed off a camel in Egypt, and riding elephants in India.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 PM on October 1, 2023 at The Loft at Sweet Water, 2556 Geryville Pike, Pennsburg, PA 18073. The doors will open at 1 PM for friends to visit with the family. Arrangements are entrusted to Mann-Slonaker Funeral Home, East Greenville, PA. You may offer condolences and share memories with the family by visiting www.mannslonakerfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation in memory of Sandy to the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA). You can send a check made out to PAEA directly to the treasurer with Sandy's name in the memo line and sent to Jess Alesso, 3001 Dutch Road. Fairview, PA 16415.