Sandra Mary Albrecht

Sandra (Sandy) Mary Albrecht, of Fort Collins, passed away peacefully June 20, 2022 at the age of 74.

Sandy was born on March 24, 1948 in Marshall, Minnesota to John & Esther Schrunk. Her father died of polio when she was young, and she was later adopted by John (Jack) McLaughlin when her mother remarried. She graduated from Holy Redeemer School in Marshall in 1966 and Sioux Falls School of Practical Nursing in 1968, where she received her LPN license.

In 1970, she met Richard J (Dick) Albrecht and they were married on June 5, 1971 at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Marshall, Minnesota. They then moved to Beaumont, Texas for Dick's job where daughters Gretchen and Rachel were born. In 1976, they moved to Fort Collins, Colorado and set down roots where daughters Sarah and Elizabeth were born. When Dick passed away in 1986, Sandy stayed in Fort Collins and raised her 4 daughters herself.

Sandy loved going on walks, gardening, her dogs, spending time with her children and grandchildren, and traveling both with family and to see her family in Minnesota. She also loved her time at Associates in Family Medicine where she worked for almost 20 years. She was a devout Catholic and was a member of Saint Joseph Catholic Church and John XXIII Catholic Church throughout her time in Fort Collins.

Sandy's smile and laugh were contagious to all who met her, and she had a heart of gold. Some of Sandy's favorite sayings were "Don't sweat the small stuff", "One day at a time", and "You gotta laugh" – these were phrases she lived by and they have been passed down to her daughters and their families. Sandy was an amazing mother and grandmother who loved to spend time with her grandchildren, always playing with them, reading to them, and supporting their sports & activities.

In more recent years, Sandy's Alzheimer's diagnosis made it harder for her to be with those she loved, but her smile and positive attitude continued to brighten the lives of her family. She enjoyed participating in many of the activities at Brookdale and Lemay Avenue Health & Rehab, and always had a word search book in her hands.

Sandy is survived by daughters Gretchen (Christopher) Goodwin of Aurora, CO, Rachel Peterson of Fort Collins, CO, Sarah (Christopher) Grosboll of Johnstown, CO, and Elizabeth Albrecht of Fort Collins, CO; grandchildren Braden, Connor, Abigail, Mason, Hunter, Lily, and Emma; sister Kathryn (Paul) Blad of Hector, MN; and 8 nieces & nephews and their families. She is preceded in death by her husband Richard (Dick) Albrecht; parents Esther McLaughlin, John (Jack) McLaughlin, and John Schrunk; and siblings John Schrunk, Janet Salhus, Thomas Schrunk, and Kellie Julian.

A rosary service will be held on Monday, June 27 at 6:00 PM at Bohlender Funeral Chapel (121 W. Olive Street, Fort Collins). A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, June 28 at 10:00 AM at Saint John XXIII Catholic Church (1220 University Avenue, Fort Collins), followed by a reception at The Agave Room (149 W. Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins).

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Alzheimer's Association in honor of their mother.