1959 – 2016

NEW VINEYARD — Sandra Phyllis (Howard) Bestwick, 56, of New Vineyard, left unexpectedly for her heavenly home, surrounded by family and friends on Wednesday evening, Feb. 24, at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

She was born Nov. 7, 1959, in Farmington, the youngest of seven children of Raymond and Marjorie Howard.

Sandy attended Roosevelt Grammar School in New Vineyard and the A.D. Ingalls School in Farmington, before graduating from Mt. Blue High School in the Class of 1978. She spent many of her childhood days on the “big rock” with her lifelong best friend, Shenny (Sillanpaa) Fletcher.

On June 4, 1983, she married Gary Bestwick in New Vineyard. The joy of her life was raising her daughter, Anna, and later, spending time with her grandson, Drew.

Sandy’s first job was working for Ernie’s Tire Service in New Vineyard, where she did bookkeeping and house cleaning. She served as librarian at the New Vineyard Public Library for about 15 years. This past summer, she was able to see her beloved library grow and expand to a new building. Her friendly smile and encouraging words made the library a place others loved to visit.

She was a member for many years of the Mountain View Bible Church in New Vineyard, and later a member of the Farmington Baptist Church. She was very active in youth ministries such as Good News Club, Sunday School, youth group and Vacation Bible School, and served as VBS director and Sunday School superintendent for several years. She also led a ladies Bible study for many years. Sandy enjoyed reading, writing, card making, cooking and crocheting. She was known as a second mom to many of the children in the community and claimed to have potty-trained half of New Vineyard.

Sandy is survived by her husband, Gary Bestwick of New Vineyard; her daughter, Anna Henderson and husband, Jonathan; grandson, Drew of Augusta; her mother, Marjorie Howard of New Vineyard; her brother, Keith Howard of Carthage; her sisters, Linda Howard of Solon, Susan Lisherness and husband, Jon, of Phillips, and Judy Smith and husband, Leslie, of East Dixfield; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her father, Raymond Howard; her brother, Jerry Howard; and her sister, Dinah Kidd.