Shirley
Shirley Sandage
d. June 27, 2012
Shirley M. Sandage, 85, of Frederick, Maryland, died on June 27, 2012, at Frederick Memorial Hospital. Memorial services are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 30, 2012, at Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike, in Frederick. The family will greet friends one hour prior to the service.
Shirley Marie Farrer was born in Mason City, Iowa on May 5, 1927. In 1946, she married Richard E. Sandage, Sr. They raised 3 sons, Richard E. Sandage, Jr. (Frederick, MD), John Byron and partner Gregory Blackley (Vienna, Austria) and Scott Alan (Pittsburgh, PA).
For more than four decades, Ms. Sandage was an advocate for invisible Americans - the needy, the powerless; the fearful at local, state, and national levels.
Prior to her retirement in 1996, she oversaw the activities of James S. Brady, former Press Secretary to President Ronald Reagan at the National Organization on Disability (NOD) in Washington, DC. She directed his “Calling on America” Campaign to increase opportunities for people with disabilities and organized a nationwide network of 4,500 cities, towns and counties to achieve its aims. She further organized a network of 45 of the nation’s largest associations and organizations to participate in the campaign.
Before moving to NOD, Ms. Sandage served as the US Field Representative for the Christian Children’s Fund, an international child-sponsorship organization. She opened its US national headquarters in Washington, DC, supervising the work of regional offices in Rapid City, SD, Tahlequah, OK and Jackson, MS. In this position, she designed and directed a national study to pinpoint where American children living in extreme poverty are located.
In 1980, Ms. Sandage was appointed as Executive Director of the White House Mini-Conference on Older Women, which resulted in the establishment of the Older Women’s League as a national membership organization dedicated solely to the needs of mid-life and older women. She was a founding member of its first Board of Directors and in 1983 became its second Executive Director, doubling its membership in 2 years. During her tenure, she directed a national campaign to focus public attention on issues related to Social Security, pension reform and access to adequate health care. She was a member of the national Women’s Round Table, an ad-hoc group of national leaders in the women’s movement.
In 1976, Ms. Sandage and a friend, Margaret Garrity, co-founded “The Door Opener” in Mason City, Iowa as a drop-in counseling center for women. The Center achieved national recognition as a model for assisting women to become economically independent and free of welfare assistance. For this work, in 1980 Ms. Sandage was nominated for a Winthrop Rockefeller Award for Distinguished Rural Service. In 1981, she was selected by the US China Committee on Cultural Relations at the United Nations as one of 9 women of an exchange delegation between the US and the Peoples Republic of China. She was a founding member of the national Displaced Homemakers Network, Inc. and served 3 years as its President and was elected to the Board of Directors of Extended Family Enterprises, Inc., in Jonesboro, AR. Prior to founding The Door Opener, Sandage and Garrity studied the use and disposal of hazardous materials by Iowa industries. Their report led to legislation regulating disposal in the state.
From 1972 to 1975, Ms. Sandage worked for the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, as an expert on rural issues related to welfare reform in the work incentive program. Later she served as a negotiator representing the US Secretary of Labor in a landmark civil rights case heard before Judge Charles Richey in the US District Court of the District of Columbia. She wrote the guidelines reorganizing the US Employment Service redirecting and expanding service delivery in local Job Service offices.
Ms. Sandage first came to Washington, DC, in 1969 as the Deputy Director of the Migrant Research Project of the Manpower, Evaluation and Development Institute of the U.S. Department of Labor. She co-authored the first national study to gather demographic, social, and economic characteristics of migrant farm workers. Prior to this, she founded and directed the Migrant Action Program, a multi-state agency headquartered in Mason City, Iowa, providing educational and medical services to migrant farm worker families.
After retiring in 1996, Ms. Sandage continued volunteer work in Frederick. She taught “Tales for Grandchildren” for 12 years for the Institute for Learning in Retirement at Frederick Community College, as well as “Power Skirts” a course that brought to Frederick a panel of women who changed the course of social justice in America. She wrote “Senior Voices,” for Most magazine. A long-time member of the Frederick County Senior Recreation Council (SRC), she served as its chairperson for 6 years. She was a member of the Frederick County C. Burr Artz Library Board of Trustees. As a member of the Frederick County Commission on Aging, Shirley wrote the 2004 report, “Senior Voices of Frederick County, Maryland,” examining the quality of life of its senior citizens. She was appointed to the Frederick County Adult Guardianship Review Board, and the Frederick County Human Relations Commission, her last term as chairperson. She served the City of Frederick as a member of the Personnel Review Board, her last year as its chairperson; and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Weinberg Center for the Performing Arts. Honored by the University of Iowa at Iowa City as an outstanding Iowa woman, her published and unpublished papers are preserved at the Iowa Women’s Archives at the University Library in Iowa City. In addition to her volunteer work, Shirley enjoyed travel. She visited all 50 states, circumnavigated the globe, stood on all 7 continents, and visited in excess of 60 countries.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Richard, her parents, Jack and Flossie Farrer, her sister Joy Farrer Swab and her nephew Kenneth Swab. She is survived by her sons, her grandchildren, Autumn Sandage, Honolulu, HI and Christopher Sandage, Stafford, VA as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the “Garrity/Sandage ‘Door Opener’ Scholarship Fund,” North Iowa Area Community College, Mason City, Iowa, 50401.
Shirley Marie Farrer was born in Mason City, Iowa on May 5, 1927. In 1946, she married Richard E. Sandage, Sr. They raised 3 sons, Richard E. Sandage, Jr. (Frederick, MD), John Byron and partner Gregory Blackley (Vienna, Austria) and Scott Alan (Pittsburgh, PA).
For more than four decades, Ms. Sandage was an advocate for invisible Americans - the needy, the powerless; the fearful at local, state, and national levels.
Prior to her retirement in 1996, she oversaw the activities of James S. Brady, former Press Secretary to President Ronald Reagan at the National Organization on Disability (NOD) in Washington, DC. She directed his “Calling on America” Campaign to increase opportunities for people with disabilities and organized a nationwide network of 4,500 cities, towns and counties to achieve its aims. She further organized a network of 45 of the nation’s largest associations and organizations to participate in the campaign.
Before moving to NOD, Ms. Sandage served as the US Field Representative for the Christian Children’s Fund, an international child-sponsorship organization. She opened its US national headquarters in Washington, DC, supervising the work of regional offices in Rapid City, SD, Tahlequah, OK and Jackson, MS. In this position, she designed and directed a national study to pinpoint where American children living in extreme poverty are located.
In 1980, Ms. Sandage was appointed as Executive Director of the White House Mini-Conference on Older Women, which resulted in the establishment of the Older Women’s League as a national membership organization dedicated solely to the needs of mid-life and older women. She was a founding member of its first Board of Directors and in 1983 became its second Executive Director, doubling its membership in 2 years. During her tenure, she directed a national campaign to focus public attention on issues related to Social Security, pension reform and access to adequate health care. She was a member of the national Women’s Round Table, an ad-hoc group of national leaders in the women’s movement.
In 1976, Ms. Sandage and a friend, Margaret Garrity, co-founded “The Door Opener” in Mason City, Iowa as a drop-in counseling center for women. The Center achieved national recognition as a model for assisting women to become economically independent and free of welfare assistance. For this work, in 1980 Ms. Sandage was nominated for a Winthrop Rockefeller Award for Distinguished Rural Service. In 1981, she was selected by the US China Committee on Cultural Relations at the United Nations as one of 9 women of an exchange delegation between the US and the Peoples Republic of China. She was a founding member of the national Displaced Homemakers Network, Inc. and served 3 years as its President and was elected to the Board of Directors of Extended Family Enterprises, Inc., in Jonesboro, AR. Prior to founding The Door Opener, Sandage and Garrity studied the use and disposal of hazardous materials by Iowa industries. Their report led to legislation regulating disposal in the state.
From 1972 to 1975, Ms. Sandage worked for the US Department of Labor in Washington, DC, as an expert on rural issues related to welfare reform in the work incentive program. Later she served as a negotiator representing the US Secretary of Labor in a landmark civil rights case heard before Judge Charles Richey in the US District Court of the District of Columbia. She wrote the guidelines reorganizing the US Employment Service redirecting and expanding service delivery in local Job Service offices.
Ms. Sandage first came to Washington, DC, in 1969 as the Deputy Director of the Migrant Research Project of the Manpower, Evaluation and Development Institute of the U.S. Department of Labor. She co-authored the first national study to gather demographic, social, and economic characteristics of migrant farm workers. Prior to this, she founded and directed the Migrant Action Program, a multi-state agency headquartered in Mason City, Iowa, providing educational and medical services to migrant farm worker families.
After retiring in 1996, Ms. Sandage continued volunteer work in Frederick. She taught “Tales for Grandchildren” for 12 years for the Institute for Learning in Retirement at Frederick Community College, as well as “Power Skirts” a course that brought to Frederick a panel of women who changed the course of social justice in America. She wrote “Senior Voices,” for Most magazine. A long-time member of the Frederick County Senior Recreation Council (SRC), she served as its chairperson for 6 years. She was a member of the Frederick County C. Burr Artz Library Board of Trustees. As a member of the Frederick County Commission on Aging, Shirley wrote the 2004 report, “Senior Voices of Frederick County, Maryland,” examining the quality of life of its senior citizens. She was appointed to the Frederick County Adult Guardianship Review Board, and the Frederick County Human Relations Commission, her last term as chairperson. She served the City of Frederick as a member of the Personnel Review Board, her last year as its chairperson; and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Weinberg Center for the Performing Arts. Honored by the University of Iowa at Iowa City as an outstanding Iowa woman, her published and unpublished papers are preserved at the Iowa Women’s Archives at the University Library in Iowa City. In addition to her volunteer work, Shirley enjoyed travel. She visited all 50 states, circumnavigated the globe, stood on all 7 continents, and visited in excess of 60 countries.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Richard, her parents, Jack and Flossie Farrer, her sister Joy Farrer Swab and her nephew Kenneth Swab. She is survived by her sons, her grandchildren, Autumn Sandage, Honolulu, HI and Christopher Sandage, Stafford, VA as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the “Garrity/Sandage ‘Door Opener’ Scholarship Fund,” North Iowa Area Community College, Mason City, Iowa, 50401.
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