Sandra (Sandy) Courtney Culverhouse went to be with our Lord on November 18, 2025. Born Sandra Kay Courtney on December 7, 1940 (Pearl Harbor Day), to Byron Campbell and Virginia Pearl Courtney, Sandy was a true Waco original. Driving anywhere in town with her was a Waco history lesson – from her memories of the 1953 tornado, to graduating a Waco High School Tiger in 1958, to the history of each neighborhood in which she had lived, along with a list of neighbors and a story about each. There was a time when Sandy knew everyone in Waco and everyone in Waco knew her. She was a proud Texan and a proud Wacoan.

Sandy married the love of her life of 59 years, Grover Oliver Culverhouse, on January 19, 1962 They made their lives in Waco, building a family, raising kids, weaving their lives into the fabric of this small Texas town. Sandy was very proud to be the first woman to join the Waco Founder Lions club and went on to serve as their executive secretary. After Grover retired as owner and operator of Banner Loans, they bought and ran a successful bed and breakfast in Clifton, TX – Courtney House. Sandy eventually retired as office manager of Khoury, Inc., manufacturers of architectural woodwork (now makerspace Triple Win Waco).

Sandy was a force of nature who lived out loud and without regret. She never met a stranger and made friends wherever she went. She was tender-hearted and gave her love quickly and fiercely. She never met a pup she didn’t love. She had a very strong sense of right and wrong and was always the champion of the underdog.

Sandy poured herself into being a loving wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, and friend. She was guided by her relationship with God and approached each day with determination, courage and love, leaving an indelible mark on this world. If you were loved by Sandy, you knew it without a doubt and could count on her fierce loyalty.

She was dearly loved and will be sorely missed by family, friends, and a city and community that she helped to build and shape.

Sandy was preceded in death by husband, Grover Oliver Culverhouse, parents, Byron Campbell and Virginia Pearl Courtney, and brother, Gary Allen Courtney. She is survived by her children Kyle Marc (Brandye) Barrington, Gregory Lynn (Jackie) Culverhouse, and Bradley William Pogue, grandchildren, Oscar Ray Barrington and Christian Oliver (Tug) Barrington, siblings Ruby Evelyn (James) Trombley, Barbara Ann (John) Beard, Byron Campbell (Carrol) Courtney, III, as well as a number of beloved nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at Grace Gardens. Visitation will begin at 11:00am with a service at 11:30am. Guests are welcome to share a story or say a few words about Sandy. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the Scottish Rite Hospital, an organization near and dear to Sandy’s heart.