Sandra Helene Hamilton, 82, of Malibu, California, passed away on October 6, 2025, with family by her side. Sandra was born on February 9, 1943, in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, the daughter of Bill and Dorothy (Blanchard) Gray.
Sandra spent her young years in Thief River Falls and Fontana, CA, and would describe her childhood as idyllic. Her father, her hero. She would earn her undergraduate degree at San Jose State University and Masters in Education at Pepperdine.
In San Jose, Sandra would meet and eventually marry Darrell Hamilton on August 29, 1964. They would begin their post-collegiate lives in Los Angeles, where Sandra taught first to third graders at Daniel Freeman Elementary in Inglewood. Sandra was an amazing teacher who loved and kept in touch with many of her former students up until her passing. She also maintained incredible lifelong friendships with her “Teacher Friends” as she lovingly referred to them.
In 1970, Sandra would move to Malibu, California, where she and Darrell would raise two loving sons, Mark and Scott (Lynn), and would reside there for the rest of her years. She loved Malibu with a passion and often mentioned that she would not want to call any other place home. A few years into her move to Malibu, she retired from teaching and focused on managing the Malibu and Topanga properties she and Darrell would accumulate over the years. Sandra had three grandchildren who she absolutely adored, Kylie, Jack and Summer. And her girlfriends in Malibu meant the world to her.
Sandra is preceded in death by her husband, Darrell, her parents, and brother, Bill. She is survived by her sons, Mark Hamilton of Manhattan Beach, California, and Scott Hamilton of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. And her grandchildren, Kylie Hamilton, Jack Hamilton, and Summer Hamilton.
A celebration of life memorial will be held after the holidays at her home in Malibu.