Sandra (Sandy) Bringhurst Murphy

Sandra was born to Grant and Olive Bringhurst on September 17, 1945 in Missoula, Montana. Sandy, her younger brother Larry, and their parents moved a few times in her younger years, living in Kaysville, Utah, San Carlos, California and settled in Campbell, California, where her parents opened Laurel Variety. Sandy graduated from Campbell high school in 1963 and attended West Valley College, where she met her best friend Judy. Her and Judy had a special friendship that lasted decades. In Judy’s words, “In life you are blessed if you meet a lifelong friend. Life’s journey separates you geographically from that friend but that special friend remains in your heart. When your paths do cross you pick right up where you left off. For me that was Sandy. She was my best and last roommate prior to my marrying Rick.”

Sandy started dating James “Jim” in 1969 in San Jose, California. After a few years of dating they were married on February 20, 1971 at San Jose State chapel, surrounded by their family and friends.

Sandy and Jim began their life together in San Francisco, CA, moved to south San Francisco, then onto Menlo Park, CA. Nine years later they welcomed their first and only child, Shaun, born in 1979. They moved to Mission Viejo, Ca in 1981, spent a few years living in Augusta, Georgia, for Jim’s work, and then settled back in Mission Viejo where many memories were made as a family of three.

Sandy was a very involved mother taking Shaun to urgent care, soccer and basketball practices and games, running snack bar, all while making delicious home cooked meals.

Sandy had many hobbies: reading, talking on the phone, cooking, collecting magazines, baking, needlepoint, but her biggest hobby and passion was sewing. And boy could she sew! Learning from her mother, she sewed clothing, Halloween costumes, quilts, and helped Jim with sewing the upholstery for his 1951 woody. Sandy loved spending time with Jim, whether it be giving him a helping hand in the garage, going to Woody shows, watching movies, dinner dates, or going to farmers markets on the weekends and she was always making friends with those she came in contact with.

Sandy’s hobbies brought joy to her life, but nothing gave her more joy than her family: Jim, her husband of 55 years, son Shaun and daughter-in law Jenna. Sandy was blessed with two grandchildren, Blake and Gianna, who were the center of her world. The love she had for her grandchildren couldn’t be matched. They brought so much light to her world. The excitement in her voice when she would talk to Blake and Gianna on the phone and the sparkle in her eyes when she visited them. Grammy, as she was known, loved sharing pictures, telling stories, crafting with Gianna and watching Blake play basketball.

Sandy was loving, beautiful, spiritual, loved to laugh, and loyal to all those she cared about.

On February 13, 2026, she passed peacefully in her sleep at the age of 80. She is survived by her husband Jim, son and daughter-in-law Shaun and Jenna, grandchildren Blake and Gianna, brother and sister-in-law Larry and Susy, and nephews Jody and Daniel, and their families.

Sandy loved.

And as her dad, Grant, told Jim on the day he asked for her hand in marriage, “If you show her the slightest amount of love, she will return it tenfold”

For all those who knew her, she will always be loved, tenfold. May she rest peacefully.