Sandra Dolores Norgrove, (maiden name Borgzinner) was called back to God on January 31, 2025, surrounded by her children, several grandchildren, and some family members. She came from a very prominent family in Managua, Nicaragua, with a great-grandfather who was a revolutionary figure honored with a statue, and another relative whose portrait appeared on the country’s lotto ticket.
Her family migrated from Nicaragua, and Sandy was born in San Francisco on August 27, 1949. At 7 years old, she moved with her mother to Santa Rosa. She attended Cook Junior High, graduated from Santa Rosa High, and continued her education at Santa Rosa Junior College. Her grandmother was a major influence in her life and required her to learn to play piano and attend church every morning before classes. She became a classical pianist and played into her early teens.
Her family had a very colorful past. Sandy remembered working in her Auntie Mar’s clothing factory during summer breaks in Los Angeles and visiting Disneyland with her grandmother, which sparked her lifelong love for Disney.
She met her future husband, Richard R. Norgrove, at a dance at the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Rosa and they married 2 years later. She liked to tell the story that he had to get her stepfather’s permission to become engaged, but his answer was no. Over time, Richard wore her stepfather down and was finally given permission. She would say he was very persistent. Sandy saw him off to war and wrote to him every day, sometimes multiple times a day, for 4 years.
Their three children were raised in the Catholic Church. Although Sandy was a stay-at-home mom, that didn’t stop her from being active in many endeavors. She became active in the church and head of the parent/teacher club. She organized many fundraisers for St. Rose School, including starting and running Friday night bingo.
She was incredibly generous, frequently donating to numerous non-profits, resulting in her taxes being audited twice. She often joked with her husband, “Your job is to earn it; my job is to spend it!” She had a particular fondness for the American Heart Association due to their oldest son, Richard, who had open heart surgery at a very early age.
She traveled to Mexico in high school, and after getting married, they traveled to Hawaii many times, Canada, Germany, Italy, Scotland, and the UK. But her favorite was to the land of Disney. She went so many times that her husband told her he would take her anywhere in the world except Disneyland. She asked, “anywhere?” When he said yes, she said, “kids, pack your bags, we’re going to Disneyworld!” She always had a way of getting what she wanted. In Scotland, she visited her granddaughter, Ryleigh, who was attending school there. In Germany, she took her grandson, Jason, to the Rotary International Convention. And in Italy, she celebrated her and Richard’s 50th wedding anniversary, taking most of their adult children and grandchildren. It was a trip to remember for sure.
Sandy was bigger than life. She loved to host pool parties, and there was often a neighborhood kid or two at the dinner table. The Christmas Holidays were always filled with baking and sharing family stories, a tradition carried on by her daughter, Marcella, and her family. It was common to have 18 or more people at a single, long dinner table during Thanksgiving and Christmas. She collected Faberge eggs, rabbit figurines, and Nutcrackers (45+), which were all displayed during the Christmas season. Her house was always the one to drive by during Christmas. One year, the Christmas tree was 22ft. tall and filled the entire formal living room. It had to be secured to the staircase; no stand could hold it. She loved the holidays and enjoyed them all.
Later in life, she and Richard, along with their son Ricardo and Daughter-in-Law Tami, founded Bear Republic Brewing Company. She wore a trademark shirt that read, “Ma Bear,” and that name caught on with all who knew her. She welcomed staff and patrons with open arms and a smile that made everyone feel like family.
A diabetic for over 45 years and a liver transplant recipient in 2005, Sandy showed remarkable resilience. Unfortunately, three strokes over the past 2 years, a recent bone infection and subsequent antibiotics, led to recent kidney failure, severely impacting her health. She leaves behind her husband of 57 years, Richard R. Norgrove, and her three kids, Richard G. Norgrove (Tami), Ron Norgrove (Christie), and Marcella Allen (Jason). Her pride and joy, six grandkids, Jason Allen Jr, Ryleigh Norgrove, Ava Norgrove, Isabel Staples, Trinity Allen, and Samuel Norgrove, along with seven sisters, one brother, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Sandy will be remembered fondly and never forgotten. I loved you the first time I saw you and will love you throughout eternity. You’re in God’s house now. I miss you immensely.
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