Sandra McKean Ogden

Sandra McKean Ogden was born in New York City in 1937 and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut. She led a vibrant and purposeful life until the time of her death, December 20, 2023. She was a dedicated and loving wife, mother, sister, and grandmother who had an amazingly broad following of extended family and close friends. Her family liked to think of her as a social engineer. She also possessed an amazing ability to charm those around her that was legendary. Sandy’s life was defined by her love of her family, friends, and the arts — specifically music and poetry. For many years, she entertained her extended family with limericks at celebrations and events.

Despite her physical handicap due to paralysis from polio as a teenager, Sandy’s activities and accomplishments were vast. She was, literally, instrumental in having an authentic pipe organ installed at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Belvedere, where she served in a number of leadership roles including junior warden, senior warden, and Women’s Guild president. She was a founding member and benefactor of The American Bach Soloists nearly 30 years ago, serving as founding board president, and later as honorary chair of its advisory council.

Sandy’s achievements and awards also included: Belvedere Citizen of the Year 2007; Marin Ecumenical Association for Housing’s Farley Place board member for many years; numerous parent activities for the boys’ schools; Marin Volunteer Bureau board member and president; Marin Foundation president; Friends of Arequipa Driftwood Unit president; San Francisco Fall Antiques Show vice-president and chair of the loan exhibit for 20 years; Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (in Winter Park, FL) board member.

She is survived by husband Paul Ogden; sister Susie McKean; sons Charles and David Ogden; daughters-in-law Kelli Ogden and Shannon Navarro; daughter-in-law emeritus Mimi Sardou; and grandchildren Sarah Ogden, Katie Ogden, Matthew Ogden and Ashley Ogden.

In lieu of flowers, her family suggests a donation to Marin Ecumenical Association for Housing https://www.eahhousing.org, American Bach Soloists https://americanbach.org, or a charity of your choosing. Services will be held at a date to be determined.

We celebrate Sandy with an excerpt from a limerick she penned for this purpose:

Baroque to jazz players of skill,

She offered support and goodwill.

ABS she prized,

Music vitalized,

Sounds of beauty she helped instill.

Decorative Arts in profile,

Antiques Show and the Morse her style.

Housing needs so rife,

Focused in her life.

Remember her, please, with a smile.