Sandra Brown Koontz

Koontz - Sandra Dee Brown, age 83, passed away on January 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida. She was born on October 28, 1942, to the late Thomas Wayland Brown and Loretta Smart. Sandra was a 1960 graduate of Andrew Jackson Sr. High School and then went on to graduate from the University of North Florida with a BS and master’s degree in accounting. She was an accountant with The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra, Florida but would have always loved to have been a teacher. Gardening was a passion of Sandra’s, especially amaryllis, passed down by previous generations. She was also an avid sports fan, enthusiastically supported Mandarin High School Mustang Soccer team, which was coached by her son Jason, University of Florida Gators, and of course the Jacksonville Jaguars. Sandra loved dressing up and attending parties with family and friends. Her greatest joy was family;  with life-long interactions with Brown, Smart, and Herndon families, she especially liked getting together with her cousins at the “Brown girls” retreats. Sandra always lived by the simple belief that “once you are family, you are always family.” She is preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Loretta; stepfather, Ronald Brooks Herndon, Sr.; sons Patrick and Craig Carver; brother, Ronald Brooks Herndon, Jr.; first husband, Al Carver; and second husband, Wallace Cooley.

Sandra is survived by her loving husband, Gary William Koontz; beloved son, Jason Alan Cooley; sister, Tommie Waylene Brown Branch (Wayne); mother-in-law, Betty Koontz; sister-in-law Barbara Koontz; several cherished nephews and nieces; several grand-nephews and nieces and 3 great-nephews and nieces.

A Celebration of Sandra’s Life will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the home of Gary and Jason, 813 Cedar Bay Road, Jacksonville, Florida, 32218, with an open house from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to American Cancer Society https://donate.cancer.org or the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) https://action.aclu.org/give/join-the-aclu-multistep in Sandra’s memory. Arrangements are under the care and direction of CEDAR BAY FUNERAL HOME, 405 New Berlin Road, Jacksonville, Florida, 32218. (904) 714-1110. 

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