Sandra Ellen Godbey

Sandi Ellen Godbey was a remarkable woman who always held her head high and gave endlessly to those around her. Sandi was born in San Marcos, TX on October 14, 1953 to John Raymond Bacher and Margie Ellen Bacher. Sandi’s father John was a Private First Class in the Army, and her mother Margie, was a homemaker. When John got out of the Army they moved to Rockford, IL, where Sandi went to school. She lived in Rockford until she moved to Tempe, AZ for a job with the local news station. While there, she met Jerry Godbey and they were married on September 6, 1980. While in AZ they enjoyed many camping trips in the surrounding desserts, and skiing in the White Tank Mountains in Flagstaff, and Aspen. They also started their family with two children, Aaron and Sean Godbey. The family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado in 1984 to support Jerry pursuing his degree at CSU. While Aaron and Sean were going through school, Sandi volunteered for multiple groups to include Boy Scouts of America, the Raptor Center, and the PTA at the boys’ school. As Aaron and Sean got older, Sandi pursued her dream of a degree in education. After she graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s in education, she realized how much she enjoyed learning and went onto receive her master’s in education administration in 2001. After Aaron & Sean’s graduation, Sandi tried a couple of different professions before finding her niche as a real estate agent. She loved helping people find homes. She was meticulous in helping to find just the right home and would often laugh with the family when she had shown people too many homes. The family was very active and traveled/camped with Boy Scouts in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana but also explored the Yukon River in the Northwest Territories of Canada, the Appalachian Trail, and backpacked Europe. Sandi traveled throughout the Caribbean, China, Australia, Hawaii, the western coast of the U.S, and Mexico. She loved hiking and hobbies included drying flowers, macramé, reading about nature. She was always looking up a new bird or other animal in her field guides. In October 2010 the family decided to open the Old Town Spice Shop in Fort Collins. Sandi was passionate about being a small business owner. Sean managed the business for the family and with Sandi’s leadership the business grew. She loved spices and was always up to try something new. After parting ways with Jerry in 2011, she found the love of her life and married Scott Smith. Sandi and Scott met in the spring of 2011. She was the realtor for the investment group Scott was part of. On the very first outing to look at land for twenty horses, Scott and Sandi drove out onto the property and soon came to a snowbank drifted over the road. To see the rest of the property, Sandi promptly gunned the engine and barreled right into the snowbank to get to the other side. They didn’t make it and got stuck right in the middle. Sandi opened her back hatch and handed Scott a shovel she always carried for such occasions and they dug her Subaru out and continued. From that moment forward Scott knew Sandi was a special lady. Many months later after completing many successful closings, Sandi and Scott celebrated with a drink and conversation and they quickly formed a deep bond – the rest is history. Over time, Sandi and Scott had been looking for their forever home, and while Scott was teaching Sandi to Golf at the Mad Russian Golf Course, they found the perfect house to call home. Even though the house was not in Fort Collins, close to the Old Town Spice Shop, they quickly made Milliken their home and began building a beautiful life together. On November 2nd, 2013 Sandi and Scott were Married in Fountain Hills, Arizona in front of family at the Fountain Hills Fountain. Sandi and Scott never stopped celebrating their love in everything they did, which included hiking, biking, walking, kayaking, golfing, fishing, and travelling. While they were doing all these things, Scott was studying to become a Realtor. Sandi took passion in everything she did and poured herself into helping Scott pass the test – he did with flying colors. Scott and Sandi became a team with Coldwell Banker and bought and sold many homes for their clients over the next five years. Every year Scott and Sandi made several trips to visit Sandi’s parents in Fountain Hills, AZ. It was their plan to find a place in Arizona to winter and be close to them. John and Marge have always treated Scott like the son they never had. Sandi and Scott had just bought their third Outback together, and their adventurous hearts resulted in them putting many miles on their two previous cars. In the last three weeks they had three adventures that allowed them to break in their new Subaru properly. The first trip was over Fall River Road with Scott’s daughter Amber and her family. On the second trip they made a loop from Chambers lake, almost to Wyoming then back to highway 287 north of Ted’s Place. The third trip was to Long Draw Reservoir to get in some kayaking and fishing. Sandi and Scott set up a very elaborate camp site complete with a walk in tent, cots w/pads, a place to hang clothes, an overhang to keep the wood dry for the fire, a cook tent/shower tent/view tent, and a great fire pit for grilling and enjoying the warmth it provided in the evening. Scott and Sandi spent two wonderful days doing the things they loved. They hiked down to the river and saw two moose, deer, a bald eagle, many birds, wildflowers, and all the things Sandi loved in nature. Then they drove to the reservoir and got the kayaks down from the car and set them by the shore when a storm came up and brought white caps on the water. They sat in the car waiting for the storm to pass for at least an hour until things settled down. Finally, the wind died down and the sun came out and they seized their opportunity to go for a ride in the kayaks. Scott and Sandi went from end to end and back, fishing all the way. Sandi caught many fish always calling Scott over to help her get the fish off so they wouldn’t hurt them. After three hours they returned to shore and loaded up the kayaks and headed back to camp where they set up the solar shower and got cleaned up after the wonderful adventures of the day. Sandi and Scott prepared dinner, listened to music, had a drink and danced by the fire. They ate a great steak dinner and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. God called Sandi home at the completion of such a beautiful day, like so many Scott and Sandi shared during their time together. Sandi had the most beautiful soul, disposition, caring demeaner, love of all living things, and is Scott’s soulmate and the love of his life. During their time together they had a lifetime of adventures through travel or just day to day living. The love Sandi and Scott shared is one for the ages. Scott still has the first note Sandi left for him in his lunch box that reads, “Honey, there is love in my heart, and it is all yours. XOXOXO I Love You Dearly!” The note is still in Scott’s lunch box and will be forever. So many things had to happen for Sandi and Scott to even meet and though some may consider their time short, they had enough adventures and love between them to last 10 lifetimes. HONEY, THERE IS LOVE IN MY HEART AND IT IS ALL YOURS. XOXOXO I LOVE YOU DEARLY!! YOUR LOVING HUSBAND, SCOTT Sandi is survived by Scott, her husband of nearly 8 years, her mother, Margie, her father, John, her son Aaron Godbey (Beth), son Sean Godbey (Cherie), step-daughter, Amber Dedus (Alen), and stepdaughter, Laura Wimer (Jeremy). Sandi is also survived by five grandchildren and 2 step-grandchildren: John Riley Godbey, Caleb Godbey, Josh Godbey, Cohen Godbey, Mara Godbey, Natalie Dedus, and Hazel Wimer.

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Sandra Ellen Godbey

October 14, 1953 - August 6, 2020