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Obit: Sally Jeanette Meyer Chandler

by jmaloni

•Taken from the May 30 Island Dispatch

Fri, May 30th 2014 08:35 pm

Sally Jeanette Meyer Chandler, born in Buffalo, on Dec. 17, 1925, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2014, in Austin, Texas, after an extended struggle with Alzheimer's Disease.

As the owner of Sheenwater Kennels, Sally was actively involved with the Great Dane Club of America, as a breeder (2014 nominee for the Great Dane Breeder's Hall of Fame), an American Kennel Club licensed judge, and national prize winner. Sheenwater Gamble on Me retired with 15 Best in Show wins, and 30 Best in Specialty Show wins, in addition to being the No. 1 Great Dane in the country for 1986 and 1987, and Best in Breed at Westminster in 1988. Gamble sired 42 champions, including his son, Ali, who became a top winning dog in Japan. Earlier, Sheenwater Jokers Wild earned his championship at the young age of 13 months, and the GDCA Best in Breed in 1977. Family members will also fondly recall Sally's first two danes, Bandit (who imitated a horse for Sally's children), and Inga.

Sally was the daughter of longtime Buffalo and Grand Island residents Ed and Elsie Meyer. Ed Meyer was a past president of the Buffalo Trap and Field Club, and along with his forefathers, owner of the Meyer Equipment Company, serving the needs of restaurants and bars through the 1970s. Starting as A.F. Meyer and Sons in 1882, the company was founded by Ed's grandfather, and later run by Ed's father, E.J. Meyer, and eventually by Ed's son, Bud Meyer. Sally's mother, Elsie Braun Meyer, was known locally for her hospital volunteer work and within the family for her loving support, and her ever-present peach tarts.

Sally's youthful summers were spent hunting, fishing and boating on Grand Island at their Sheenwater home, where she developed her love for wildlife and nature. A graduate of Amherst High School, Sally obtained her bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and subsequently married Ed Chandler (deceased 1980), who became a commodore of the Buffalo Launch Club in the 1960s. Her deceased brother, Bud, was also the local owner and operator of the Friar's Table Restaurant. In 1967, Sally and her family moved to Lake Forest, Illinois, where Sheenwater Kennels blossomed, and later to Loganville, Georgia, ultimately joining her mother, Elsie, on Siesta Key, Florida.

Sally is survived by four children: Ed, a psychologist and photographer in Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Brian, a founding partner of a Houston law firm; Kelcey, a chiropractor and glass jewelry artist in Golden Bay, New Zealand; and Kyle, who Sally supported in an acting career highlighted by an Emmy for his lead role in "Friday Night Lights." Sally eventually joined Kyle in Austin, Texas, a few years prior to her passing. Her 11 grandchildren warmly remember her as well.

Memorial donations may be made in Sally's name to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org), or to the GDCA Charitable Trust via Jean Highlands, 10196 Belmeadow Drive, Twinsburg, OH 44087; or www.GDCA.org. Funeral preparations will be managed by Toale Brothers, 6903 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida. Memorial services will be 10 a.m. on May 31 at St. Michael the Archangel Church on Siesta Key, Florida.

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