Ligia Sanchez Obituary (1932

Ligia Sanchez, age 89, of Poulsbo WA left her "big and beautiful" life behind on January 9th, 2022. She was born May 19, 1932 in Bogota, Colombia. Ligia was the oldest living of 7 sisters and 3 brothers. She was preceded in death in 2014 by her husband and our beloved father "Kico". Ligia and Kico were married in Bogota Colombia on May 27, 1950. Ligia was the matriarch of her family and leaves behind 3 daughters, Patricia Mueller, Meri Bosano (Didi) and Maggie Hight (John), 6 grandchildren, Tamara (Brendon), Chrystal (Ian) , Tatum, Thaiz (Frederico), Dexter and Natasha, and 2 great-grandchildren, Jacob ad Skylar. She was also "grandma" to the grandchildren of many of her friends who were the recipients of many of her little gifts. She always wanted them to know that they were also important to her. Ligia lived her life almost with the joy of a child and loved life to its fullest. She made her house a "candy heaven" for neighborhood children at Halloween. She decorated inside and out and always had an "open house" with a "full on dinner" for the family and friends who were always welcomed to "her open arms". Christmas was a remarkable show of lights and decorations including her beloved Nativity display which reinforced her Catholic Faith and her childhood upbringing. It spanned most of her living room and sometimes spilled into the hallway. Her character was of boundless energy and a firm desire to be part of the big and small details of everyone's life. She spent numerous hours weekly updating and being updated on family events around the globe. She was often referred to as the "global hotline." As she assimilated information it was immediately transmitted to Colombia, Switzerland, New York, Italy, and other parts of the world. One of Ligia's many attributes was her love of cooking. She took pride in being the alchemist of the kitchen, whipping up exotic dishes from seemingly nothing. Even in her final days she continued to exhibit her love for cooking, by revealing the secret ingredients to her famous (and firmly kept secret) "cheesy potato" recipe so that one of the great-great children could carry on with his favorite of her culinary delights. Ligia approached everything in life with an artists' craftmanship. She had a love of flowers and flower arranging and produced beautiful displays of her talent. Her garden and her plants were her pride and joy. She could take a dead twig and grow it into a beautiful tree. Ligia never wanted to stop learning and growing. Whether it was new culinary recipes, mastering a laptop or simply figuring out how to manage the TV remote, there was no challenge that she would not hesitate to try. How many people would attempt to master a second language at age 60? She demonstrated her determination in "I can do it myself" to the end. Even after her memory began to slip, Ligia demonstrated that one can continue to learn and grow despite the challenges of medical condition. Battling her forgetfulness, she was determined to improve her skills by undertaking her first crossword puzzle at age 88. Anyone that has met Ligia, knew that she always dressed to the "9's". Not a day went by that she was not dressed in her Sunday best (which includes high heels). Regardless of the day's tasks at hand. Whether it was shopping, working at Fishline or simply cleaning house she approached the day looking like the cover girl on a glossy magazine cover. She always added grace and style to her world. And the amazing part is that she never got dirty! Ligia spent 5+ years serving the community as a volunteer at Fishline Food Bank. There she gave cooking demonstrations helping people help themselves. Everyone working at Fishline looked forward to her Friday tastings! Even though it was only volunteer work, Ligia took her work very seriously and considered it her full-time job. She was loved by her co-workers who more than enjoyed the culinary treats she would bring them from home. In her final days, Ligia took up color pencil art projects. Even though she was having trouble writing, her coloring skills sharpened as evidenced by the beautiful drawings she left family members at Christmas time. She also spent her time reading poetry and singing along to her Colombian "oldies" tunes. The family would like to recognize the kindness and effort given by all the caregivers that helped Ligia throughout her journey. With special thanks to Esperanza Ojeda and Banessa Zamora who took it upon themselves to assure Mami's happiness. A graveside service will be held at Island Lake Cemetery Saturday January 22, 2022, at 12:00 pm. Following which, a reception will be held at Ligia's home (13387 Graywolf Pl NE Poulsbo, WA. 98370) In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Fishline Food Bank: https://fishlinehelps.org .