Sandra J James

Sandra “Sandy” Jean James, beloved mother, grandmother, wife, sister, friend, artist and teacher to many, passed away in her home in Lakeland on March 1, 2026.

Sandy was born in Belvidere, Illinois on October 27, 1937, to Dorothy and Clifford Rhodes and was the eldest of seven siblings.

Sandy dedicated her whole self to those that she loved and cared for and committed much of her life to teaching and the arts. She was a hardworking and intelligent woman, and she obtained a Master Degree of Fine Arts at University of Florida while singlehandedly raising her children along the way. Sandy taught in Polk County Public schools for 22 years and affected the lives of endless elementary and middle school students during that time.

She painted beautifully, wrote ferociously and pushed herself to eat well, live well, love well and to overcome life’s challenges with grace. Sandy embodied creativity, compassion, generosity and independence (with a little sass and dark humor peppered in) throughout her life.

Sandy is survived by her husband, David James; her children, Melinda West, Calvin West and Amy Cushing-Savvi; her grandchildren, Owen West, Sophie and Silas Cushing-Savvi; her siblings, Lorna Hegge, Brant and Bruce Rhodes; her former spouse and father of Melinda and Calvin, Richard West, and numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy and Clifford Rhodes; her siblings, Linda Quick, Penny Rhodes and Robert “Bob” Rhodes; and former spouse and father of Amy, Richard Cushing.

In lieu of sending flowers, please spend time with your loved ones or write an entry in your journal as our mom would have done.

A celebration of Sandy’s life will take place at a later date.

She will be dearly missed.