Sandra Jean Shriver, 76, passed away suddenly at her home in Sebago, on November 6, 2023.

She was born on August 25, 1947. Sandy loved living in Maine and spent her last eight years employed at Spaulding Memorial Library in Sebago as the assistant director. She greeted everyone with a smile and was always caring and thoughtful. She came to know some of the library’s patrons so well that she would put aside books that they might be interested in, knowing their reading history. Her effervescent personality would always show through when she read to the children of Sebago Elementary School during story time. She always had some books on her desk that were earmarked for the different grades.

Sandy loved all animals and made sure she had a treat on hand when patrons stopped by with their dogs. In addition to performing many of the daily library tasks, Sandy was the liaison and coordinator for a majority of the programs that the library hosted over the past several years.

Sandy graduated from Westfield High School in Westfield, N.J., in 1965, held a B.A. in French from Dickinson College (1969) and an M.S. in Film from Boston University (1979).

She had previously held positions of staff photographer for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Worcester, Mass., the Associated Press in Boston, Mass., and The Houston Post in Houston, Texas. She was also a published photographer who won many awards in photojournalism over the years.

Sandy retired from her career in photojournalism from the position of photo editor, as head of the photo department at the Portland newspapers, where she had worked since 1989, having moved to Portland from Houston, Texas, where she worked as the photo editor at The Houston Post. In both positions, she oversaw the department transition from black and white to color photography. While in Houston she also taught Photojournalism at the University of Houston.

Sandy and her husband, Gary Payton Christian, were married on May 12, 1984. They loved their big gray farmhouse, their beloved horse, mule, dog and cats. She was preceded in death by Gary, her parents Robert N. Shriver Sr. and Dorothy Wolf Shriver and her brother, Robert N. Shriver Jr.

She is survived by her stepdaughter, Holly Blackwell, a sister-in-law, Debbie Shriver a grandson and two nephews. She also left behind her beloved pets, dog Gaby and cats Chico and Chesney.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Spaulding Memorial Library in late spring at a date to be determined.

The family would be pleased to have donations in Sandy’s honor be made to the Spaulding Memorial Library, PO Box 300, Sebago, ME 04029.