Sandra “Sandy” Leal Adams Watts

Sandra Leal Adams Watts,

Sandra Leal Adams Watts, 86, passed away Sunday, October 4, 2026 in Bothell, Wash. Prior to moving into NobleCare Adult Family Home in Bothell, she was formerly a resident of Roseburg, Ore., from 1964 to 2025.

Survived by her husband Melvin G. Watts, two daughters, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, two half-sisters, several nieces and nephews, and cousins.

Sandra Leal Adams was born in Yakima, Wash., to parents Dayle Naomi Dawson and Keldon Gaylord Adams on February 18, 1940. In late 1945, the family moved to southeast Alaska, spending school years living in Ketchikan and summers at the Hope Puyallup Gold Mine on Prince of Wales Island. She was an active Girl Scout, earning the Gold Award, and was one of eight girls selected to represent the Territory of Alaska at the First Annual Girl Scout Senior Roundup in Michigan in July 1956.

After several years volunteering for her daughters’ 4-H horse clubs, she began her career with Oregon State University Extension Service, starting as a program assistant to the 4-H program in January 1978. That fall, she began commuting to the University of Oregon to resume her college education, graduating in 1981 with a B.S., Community Service and Public Affairs. She was promoted to Extension Agent, 4-H and Youth Development, in Douglas County, Oregon, in April 1982 where she would spend the bulk of her career, earning state and national awards for her work in youth development, managing 1,000 youth and 400 adult volunteers.

In June 1989, she earned a Master of Science, Speech – Rhetoric and Communication from the University of Oregon. After a short stint working for OSU Extension in Curry County, Ore., she retired from the Extension Service in March 1993.

After retirement, she became a licensed mediator, enjoyed traveling to 44 countries and 45 states with Mel and spending time with her grandchildren and extended family. Throughout her life, she was always fascinated with her family’s genealogy. She was an active volunteer for local Democratic candidates in her later years, loved spending quality time with her Women’s Group friends, was an avid fan of the Oregon Ducks, enjoyed deer hunting with Mel, backpacking, camping, hiking and cross-country skiing, sewing, calligraphy, making her “almond” roca for family and friends every Christmas, and spending over 50 years bringing in New Year’s in Bandon, Ore.

She was preceded in death by her parents, stepmother Judith (Chilton) Adams, surrogate mother Grace Dawson, sister Judith (Adams) McKay, and a brother who died in infancy.

Her fervent wish to donate her brain to science was accomplished thanks to coordination with the UCLA Brain Bank. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, the University of Washington Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, or the Support Oregon 4-H Foundation Fund to support the 4-H Douglas County Scholarship Fund.

A memorial service is planned for early 2027.