OBITUARY: Sandra Elizabeth Cofran
Sandra Elizabeth Cofran, only child of the late Henry W. and Dorothy J. (Biernat) Cofran, died peacefully Wednesday, September 28, 2016.
A graduate of Westford Academy, she attended Chandler School for Women. Most recently she was a senior citizen Continuing Education student at UMass Lowell, where she enjoyed history, art, writing, and psychology classes.
In her working life she was editor of The Westford Eagle newspaper and Office Manager at The Groton Herald newspaper. She was Assistant to the Director at the J.V. Fletcher Library in Westford, Assistant Librarian at Groton Public Library, and Program Director of Lowell Girls’ Club. For a few years she ran a pet sitting service, The Cat’s Pajamas, and ended her working life at the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
She had a number of interests including archeology, anthropology, geology, Colonial American history, and various aspects of horticulture, including bonsai, orchids, ferns, and mosses.
She was a member of the northeast and central chapters of Massachusetts Archeological Society, Nashoba Valley and Essex County Rock Hounding clubs, Emerson Society, American Fern Society, New England Carnivorous Plant Society, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Mass. Historical Society. For more than 10 years, she participated in Nashua River Watershed Association’s Spring Water Clean-up and anuran control project testing federal waters at the Concord National Wildlife Refuge for the quality of amphibious life.
She leaves many friends and a “created” family: children she knew as their babysitter back in the 1960s – brothers and sisters, Susan (Martinage) Weber, Paul Martinage, David Martinage, Michele (Martinage) Malcolmson, Nancy Martinage, and Robert Martinage. She was Honorary Grandma to Kalina Martinage.
Anyone wishing to honor her memory should consider giving a donation to a local animal shelter (Pat Brody Shelter in Lunenburg) or the Mass. Audubon Society. There will be no service. Her ashes will be scattered off Plum Island.