May 16, 1946 – February 14, 2026
Sandra Jean Basham, 79, of Eufaula, was born May 16, 1946, in McAlester, Oklahoma, to Pat and Gladys Disidore. On February 14, 2026, a day devoted to love, she passed peacefully at home, surrounded by the family she loved the most.
Sandra’s life was defined by devotion. She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved sister, Terry Disidore, whom she faithfully cared for in her home for more than 20 years; and many treasured aunts, uncles and cousins who were woven tightly into the fabric of her life.
She is survived by her daughter, Shauna Belyeu; her granddaughter, Lauren Belyeu; and a circle of cousins who were her first lifelong friends.
Sandra graduated from Eufaula High School in 1965. She married James Basham in 1968, and together they welcomed their daughter, Shauna. In 1974, she married Rowdy Roberts, and her extended family circle grew to become a family she loved dearly. She believed it was never too late to grow, to learn something new, or to begin again.
In 1979, she graduated from Eastern Oklahoma State College and was pinned as an RN.
From the very beginning, Sandra was born to care for others. Nursing wasn’t just a profession she chose; it was a calling that fit the very core of who she was. She was naturally compassionate, attentive in ways that made people feel safe, and fiercely protective of those who were vulnerable.
She began her nursing career in the emergency room and went on to work for the State of Oklahoma at the Mc-Intosh County Department of Human Services, where she called on patients throughout McIntosh County and patiently trained providers to embody the same compassion.
Whether in the emergency room, training caregivers through DHS, or checking in on someone who simply needed reassurance, she carried both tenderness and strength in equal measure. That same devotion defined the decades she spent caring for her sister Terry. What others might have called sacrifice, Sandra saw as responsibility and love — standing guard, advocating when necessary, and wrapping her sister in the same steady protection she offered every patient who ever crossed her path.
Those who knew Sandra understood that her kitchen was never truly closed. She loved to cook and feed anyone who walked in her door, making sure no one ever left her home hungry, whether for food or for comfort.
Her heart belonged to the underdog. She had a tender place for anyone overlooked or underestimated and was often the steady voice urging others to keep going. She loved nature, reading and learning.
Above all, Sandra’s greatest pride was her family. She was a loyal daughter, mother, grandmother, who celebrated every milestone and a sister whose loyalty never wavered. Caring for Terry for over three decades was never something she described as a sacrifice; it was simply love in action.
Sandra leaves behind a legacy of kindness and resilience, and a reminder that life is best lived by making others feel seen and cared for.
Honoring her wishes, a celebration of life for the family will be held at a later date.
In honor of her sister Terry, memorial donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
