Sandra L. (Leslie) Boatman

Sandra L. Boatman, beloved wife of 58 years to Clay Boatman, mother to four children, grandmother of 12 and friend to many, passed away on February 13, 2015 in Naples, Florida.  Sandra (Soni) was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana on September 6, 1934. She lived most of her youth in Convoy, Ohio and graduated from Convoy High School in 1952.   She attended Ohio Northern University and graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. After college she moved to Hastings, Michigan and later Grandville, Michigan where she raised her family. She later went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Western Michigan University. She also spent 5 years in the Richmond, Virginia area. Eventually, retirement allowed her to spend summers in Spring Lake, Michigan and winters in Naples, Florida. Her career accolades included the titles of head librarian at the Grandville Public Library in Grandville, Michigan; librarian for the Hearing Impaired for the Kent County Library System and eventually the Deputy Director of the Kent County Library System.  She also served on the Board of Directors of the United National Bank in Convoy, Ohio and as a Board Member of the Tri-Cities museum in Grand Haven, Michigan. Along with her successful career, Sandra enjoyed volunteering at the Collier County Museum in Naples, Florida and the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, Virginia. One of her true passions was singing and playing the keyboard.  Sandra spent many years as an active member of the Grand Rapids Chapter of Sweet Adelines and was also a member of the Polka-dots quartet.  Nothing brought her more joy than singing to a room full of people, especially her family and friends.  Along with her love for music, she was an avid toy and miniature collector. She was always searching for a new treasure to fill one of her many dollhouses.  Her love for history and preserving the past was evident in her witty and thoughtful collection of short stories entitled “The Convoy Kid”.  Sandra’s passion for music, history, cooking, reading and toys has been passed down to her greatest accomplishment… her children. Sandra is survived by her husband  William Clay Boatman, her  children  Clay (Jan) Boatman, Scott (Kelly) Boatman, Leslie (Joe) Monahan, Karen (Brian) Newberg, her  12  grandchildren Alexis, Emily, Bryn, Abigail, William, Joseph, Clay Andrew, John, Harrison, Henry, Claire and one great-grandchild Olivia. She was preceded in death by her mother and father Harold and Virginia Leslie, and her brother Robert Leslie. The family requests that all memorials be sent to the American Diabetes Association.  A memorial service for the life of Sandra Boatman will be held in the summer of 2015.