Sandy Riley

Sandy Riley was a woman whose heart was always where home was. She was that kind of lady, with a warmth that made all those around her feel loved and at ease. Sandy was happiest at home, caring for the many kids that crossed her path, the young lives she touched in her time with us. She was taken too soon, but her life was a gift to all who knew her.

Sandy’s story began on a cool winter day in 1950, as springtime approached in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On March 6, 1950, Robert and Peggy (Kaminski) Hooker celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl they named Sandra.

Sandy was joined in the family by her little sisters Kathy and Debbie, and her little brother Jerry. The family lived in a home on Leonard and Wilson at first, and later relocated to Standale.

Sandy had her parents’ diligent work ethic, and when she was a teenager she worked at American Laundry and later Metal Craft and Advanced Plating companies. She had attended Zinser Elementary School and later Kenowa Hills High School, but left before getting her diploma. Soon she had other things on her mind.

In the mid 1960's, Sandy met a man named Ken Ammeraal, and they began dating and were married. Before she knew it, she was the proud parent of two beautiful kids, her daughter Kimberly in 1975, and her son Michael, in 1980. Her marriage ended in 1980, and she eventually married Norm Pike for a brief time, before that ended in divorce, as well.

She made do on her own, and even went back to school to proudly earn her diploma. She eventually moved to Marne, where she ran a daycare service for 17 years. It was the perfect job for the caring, compassionate Sandy, who always adored children. She loved her own kids and especially grandkids, who she enjoyed spoiling rotten.

Sandy was a terrific cook, whose raisin and oatmeal cookies, cakes and casseroles were always crowd-pleasers. She also enjoyed playing cards, doing the word search or jigsaw puzzles, and loved country music on the radio. Most of all, she enjoyed being home, with her family by her side.

Sandy wasn’t meant to live alone forever, though. Eventually she fell in love with a longtime friend named Ken Riley, who she knew for 30 years. They were married on Halloween in 2006, in Camden, Tennessee, where they lived for two years. Ken was such a wonderful husband to Sandy, and lovingly cared for her as she was battling throat and neck cancer, after being diagnosed in 2005.

Sadly, Sandy lost her battle, and died on Sunday morning, May 18, 2008, with Ken by her side. She was 58.

Sandy was a wonderful, caring woman, who had a heart of pure gold, a heart that always made us feel so at home. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Sandy is survived by her husband Ken Riley; her children, Kimberly (Robert) Holdren, Micheal (Kristen) Ammeraal; step-children, Patrick (Jennifer) Riley, Michael Riley; 6 grandchildren and 9 step-grandchildren; her sisters and brother, Kathy (Edward) Kwiatkowski, Jerry (Phyllis) Hooker, Deb (Tom) Sampier; several nieces and nephews and many friends. A service to celebrate Sandra’s life will be celebrated on Thursday at 11:00 am at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW. Relatives and friends may meet Sandra’s family at the funeral home on Wednesday from 7-9 PM and again on Thursday from 10:00 am until the service begins. The family would like to thank the staff of Hospice of Michigan for their loving care and dedication. To share your own memory of her and to sign her guest book, visit her web page at www.lifestorynet.com.