Sandra “Sandy” Irene (Shires) Blanton, 69, of Belmont went on to her heavenly reward on Monday afternoon, August 28, 2023. Sandra was born in Gastonia on February 5, 1954 to Betty Jean (Shires) Cearley and Jack Cearley. Sandra was an active member of Catawba Heights Wesleyan Church, now known as Crossroads Church. She was a faithful VBS volunteer. She helped to decorate including hand painting murals. You could often find her in the church’s nursery providing childcare so that the parents could participate in church activities. She loved to do crafts and she was known for making elaborate decorative cakes out of Styrofoam. She also had a passion for raising show rabbits. She won multiple awards for her Angora and Netherland Dwarf rabbits including blue ribbons. She was featured in a newspaper article about the rabbits. Although she was legally blind, she never let that slow her down. She worked as a Crossing Guard for the city of Mount Holly and she met many people while doing that work. She loved Tony’s Ice Cream and she especially enjoyed their milkshakes. Sandra will be missed by her family, her church, her friends and neighbors and all that knew and love her.
Sandra was preceded in death by her wonderful husband of 31 years, Howard Blanton, her parents, her niece, Jessie Mincey, and a sister-in-law, Rachel Spain.
Surviving are two sisters, Gaye Alexander and her husband Jim of Gordonsville, TN and Susan Henderson and her husband Phil of Townville, SC; a brother, Jack Cearley and his wife Alice of Mount Holly, NC; a sister-in-law, Kathie Brown and her husband Robert of Mount Holly, NC; three brother-in-laws, Joseph Blanton and his wife Evelyn, J.L. Blanton and his wife Barbara of Belmont and Johnny Spain of Belmont; numerous nieces and nephews of whom Sandy loved dearly.
A service celebrating Sandra’s life will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 2, 2023 at
Carothers Funeral Home, 2205 Williamsburg Drive, Gastonia, NC. Her niece, Reverend Amanda
Fowler, of Canton Wesleyan Church will officiate. The family will receive friends one hour before the service beginning at 2:00 pm at the funeral home. Sandra will be buried immediately following the service in The Willow Garden of Gaston Memorial Park. Austin Alexander, BillyJack Alexander, Gary Hedrick, Josh Fowler, Gene Shires and Joey Fowler are her pallbearers. Kazuo Fowler is serving as an honorary pallbearer.
Flowers are welcome. If you would like to contribute to a charity, the family suggests that you
donate in Sandra’s name to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA
22116-7023 or www.diabetes.org.
Fond memories of Sandra and condolences for the family may be left at
www.carothersfuneralhomegastonia.com.
The staff of Carothers Funeral Home at Gaston Memorial Park is honored to serve the Blanton
Family.
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