Purple Sandy Kibler, 72, left this plateau peacefully on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.
Born July 15, 1945, she was a quintessential Key West character, having migrated here in the mid-1970s from Bloomington, Indiana after spending time in Wisconsin and Illinois. Her birthday was always quite the Key West occasion.
In true Key West style, upon arrival, she lived in a treehouse on Waddell Street and would hold a collection of jobs as diverse and eclectic as the island she chose to call home. Sandy’s employment history through the years takes longtime Key Westers on an amusingly nostalgic journey through Old Key West: The Green Parrot Sandwich Shop, Singleton Ice, Schooner Wharf Bar, Local Color, Turtle Kraals, Half Shell Raw Bar, Big Daddy’s, The Jungle Room, Hamburger Mary’s, Key West Bar and Grill, Curly’s Ribs, and Peppers of Key West.
In addition to those jobs, she also worked as a house painter, a glassblower on Duval Street and, for a short period, a shrimp boat worker.
Sandy was a member of the Moose Lodge, where she was also an employee for a time. And she regularly paid her respects at Key West’s legendary Tree Of Knowledge.
At one point, Sandy hitchhiked away from Key West with plans to work on the Alaskan Oil Pipeline. Fortunately, engine trouble somewhere around Indiana made her second-guess her Arctic adventure, and brought her back to her adopted island home.
She is survived by her son, Dylan Kibler, of Key West, and her daughter, Adrienne (Tony) McGargill, of Papillon, Nebraska and she reveled in her role of “Silly Grandma” to her three beloved grandchildren, Hailey, Kalvin, and Macey. Sandy is also survived by her siblings Robert Stevens and Vada Waller. She leaves behind a host of far-flung friends too numerous to name, but all who knew this passionate and intense free-spirit have countless great recollections of their friend.
She cherished and honored her Native American heritage and was known for her willingness to share her opinions on any topic that captured her attention. Purple Sandy was a strong, independent and one-of-a-kind woman who will be missed by so many whose paths intersected hers.
In loving memory of Purple Sandy Kibler whose presence and passion enriched our lives and made their indelible mark on our memory.
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings have a human experience.”