Obituary: Sandra Elizabeth (Tilley) Putnam
Sandra Elizabeth (Tilley) Putnam
PORTLAND – Sandra Elizabeth (Tilley) Putnam, a pioneering nurse practitioner, advocate, and beloved partner, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the age of 79.
Born in Raleigh, N.C., on Nov. 17, 1946, to Sterling Tilley and Donna (Stoddard) Tilley, Sandy grew up in Raleigh and Durham, N.C. before attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A child of the 1950s, she was a proud “tomboy” from her earliest years, climbing trees, riding bikes, roller-skating, and rising within the ranks of the Girl Scouts, where she discovered a lifelong love for camping and hiking. At the age of 18 she survived the devastating loss of her beloved 16-year-old sister, Carol, to leukemia.
Navigating the cultural shifts of the late 1960s and ’70s as a college student, nurse and Navy wife, and young single mother raising two boys, she earned her RN, MSN, and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) credentials through grit and determination, all while balancing the demands of parenthood. In Chapel Hill, N.C., she found her stride amid a vibrant, multinational medical community.
In 1980, Sandy moved from North Carolina to New England, first to New Hampshire and then to Yarmouth, Maine. From 1983 to 1985 she served as President of the Maine State Nurses Association, leading the union through its high-stakes 1984 standoff with the administration of EMMC and helping to secure a turning-point victory for nurses in the state. She later earned her PSYCH/Mental Health NP degree from the University of Southern Maine.
Her true calling, though, manifested in her work as Nurse Coordinator for Maine Medical Center’s AIDS Consultation Service. At a time when the epidemic was stigmatized and patients scorned and neglected, she stepped onto the front lines. She relished pioneering clinical research, choosing to practice where care was needed most and treating her patients with the dignity and empathy they deserved. Through courage and dedication she saved lives, forged deep friendships with both patients and fellow caregivers, and helped her community heal.
Beyond work, Sandy’s heart belonged to animals and the outdoors. The happiest years of her life were spent at the farm in Sebago, which she shared with her partner of 35 years, Brian O’Donnell. Sandy and Brian spent countless hours bringing the neglected farm back to life, and it was there that she finally and fully indulged her passion for animals of every shape and size: packs of dogs and cats, sheep and horses, even a gaggle of ducks. Bringing in the hay, grooming the horses, and mucking the stalls were cherished moments of simplicity.
Sandy is survived by Brian; her sons Brad Rickman and his wife Laura, Matt Rickman and his wife Stacy; Brian’s daughter, Erin Howard and her husband Brad; and all of her adored grandchildren, Kaelyn, Sophie, and Luca Rickman; Sydney and Elizabeth Howard.
Arrangements are under the care of Chandler Funeral Home and Cremation Services 8 Elm St., Bridgton. To make an online condolence, please visit http://www.chandlerfunerals.com .
If you’re a fellow animal lover, consider a donation in her memory to
Harvest Hills Animal Shelter
in Fryeburg, Maine
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