Sandra McCollum Toole

Sandra McCollum Toole passed away July 18, 2013 after an extended illness. She was born on August 5, 1946 in Bowling Green, KY, the second daughter of Chalmers Fleming McCollum of Wrens, GA and Dorothy Ellis McCollum of Bowling Green, KY.
Sandra spent her school days from first grade in Eatonton, GA and graduated from Putnam County High School, the vaunted class of 1964, where her mother taught high school English and her father was the high school principal.
She entered the University of Georgia in the summer of 1964 on a debate scholarship and graduated in three years with an A.B. Degree in English and a minor in Education. She received a number of academic awards including Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi. Sandra was an Alpha Chi Omega and served on the Panhellenic Council.
It was at the University of Georgia that she met and married her husband of 46 years, Richard Larry Toole of Millen, GA. After Larry graduated, the couple moved to Millen where they resided for the next twenty-seven years and raised two daughters, Tamara and Shana. In 1996, the Tooles relocated to Athens where their journey together began.
Sandra loved to make the yard of every home they lived in a garden spot, something which gave her great joy. She loved working and tending her plants and flowers. She also enjoyed taking excursions with her closest friends, something she had been unable to do in the recent past. She found much pleasure in reading, and she loved her white Collie dog, her constant companion. Sandra taught school for brief periods of time intermittently, but her main job and focus in life was taking care of her family, which she loved dearly.
She is survived by her husband, Richard Larry Toole; daughters, Tamara Toole (David) Michaux and Shana Toole McClellan both of Athens; grandsons who were the light of her life, Cullen McClellan and Madison McClellan; sister, Barbara McCollum Kennedy of Newnan; nephews, David (Paige) Kennedy of Bogart and Scott (Lisa) Kennedy of Tucker.
Funeral services will be held at 2PM Monday, July 22, 2013 at the chapel of Lord & Stephens Funeral Home, WEST with Dr. Jon Appleton officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 4-6PM on Sunday, July 21.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Sandra's memory to the Athens Area Humane Society or the First Baptist Church of Athens.
Lord & Stephens Funeral Home, WEST is in charge of arrangements.