Sandra “Sandy” Sue Darnell, 73, former commercial fisherman and resident of Westport, Washington passed away on Friday, Dec. 23, 2023 in her Westport home.

Sandy was born on April 15, 1949, to parents Jack and Sarah (MoQuin) Smith in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised in Chicago for some time before the family moved to Chehalis, Washington. Sandy graduated from W.F. West High school in Chehalis, Washington.

During her high school days, Sandy competed and was the runner-up for the court of Ms. Lewis County Pageant. Shortly after high school, she married Barry Rowland. They had two children: Jeromy and Chad. The couple later divorced.

Sandy became a commercial fisherman and moved to Elfin Cove, Alaska.

She later met and married Roddy Darnell.

When she decided to retire from fishing, she later opened her own business; a gift shop where she would make and sell her own jewelry out of her home in Elfin Cove. When her mother-in-law passed away, she and Roddy moved to Juneau, Alaska. Sandy re-opened her gift shop in Juneau.

On June 24, 2015, Roddy passed away, and Sandy moved to Grapeview, Washington. A few years later in 2017, she moved to Westport, Washington to be closer to the ocean. Sandy continued to make her jewelry and run her gift shop. Whether it was jewelry or shadow boxes, she loved to make art.

She enjoyed cooking, spending time with her dog Chewy, being near the ocean, and had a passion for the guitar. She was an accomplished musician, enjoying most genres, but thriving in folk music. She could play on any type of guitar, and even made a few albums. She got the opportunity to play with famous musicians in Alaska.

Sandy is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Roddy Darnell.

She is survived by her sons: Jeromy Rowland and his wife, Diane, of Renton, Washington; and Chad Rowland of Renton, Washington; her brothers, Dave Smith and his wife, Anita, of Oahu, Hawaii; and Greg Smith and his wife, Barb, of Portland, Oregon; four grandchildren: Brandon Rowland, Britney Rowland, Amber Delegans and Holly Houghton, and her husband, Isaiah; one great-grandchild Kaiden Rowland born July 9, 2022, that Sandy was able to meet; niece Sarah, and nephew Lucas.

At this time no services have been scheduled. Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home, in Aberdeen, Washington.