Saundra Tonsager Brewer died in her sleep on April 24, 2024, after a series of health challenges at her home in Portland, Ore.
Saundra was born in 1936 in Boston and grew up in Hinsdale. She graduated from Northwestern University in 1958, where she majored in theater and speech. In her early career, she taught secondary English, performed in summer stock theaters, and modeled. She married, had two children and developed skills in textile arts.
Aspiring to be a trial attorney and nearing age 40, she attended Southwestern Law School, where she met her life partner, Ray Sinetar. In Ventura County, she served as a deputy district attorney. She was an accomplished trial attorney and distinguished herself as a special prosecutor in the sexual assault and homicide divisions.
It was work she was passionate about and proud of. In many ways, she found her life's purpose by investing herself fully in her calling.
After retiring 20 years later, she and Ray moved to The Sea Ranch in coastal Northern California where they lived until 2018. She was an active community member through her involvement in a writer's group, theater and the Sea Ranch archives.
On the passing of her partner and her own declining health, she moved to Salem and then Portland to be near her family. She was a private and fiercely independent person. Although she considered herself shy, she was beautiful and affable, and she frequently surpassed her need for solitude to dedicate her time and talents to care for and encourage others. She was strong and strong-willed, intelligent and witty, creative, generous and a life-long learner.
Saundra is survived by her two sisters, her daughter and son, and her four grandchildren.
Services will be held at a later date.
