Sandra Lynn Jones Dotson Hetherington passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 25 at the age of 85.
She was born to William Belt Richmond Jones and Oakla Wilson (Francisco) Jones on Wednesday, July 23, 1941, in a coal mining camp in Pardee, Virginia. She was truly a Coal Miner’s daughter. She grew up in Wise, Virginia and graduated from J.J. Kelly High School in 1960.
As a stay-at-home mom to six children, Sandra volunteered as room mother, went on field trips, baked goodies for school carnivals, was active in the PTA and occasionally drove the getaway car for rolling yards. After becoming a single parent, she went to school (while working) and earned a bachelor’s degree from Athens State which she used in her career with the Civil Service.
In 1994, Sandra married Gene Hetherington and they spent almost 32 years together: fishing, dancing, traveling and loving each other. They are members of Trinity Baptist Church in Madison where Sandra served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher as well as other roles. She also enjoyed working in the kitchen helping to cook many meals. Her homemade banana pudding was the best!
Sandra was quite crafty and very creative. She loved to sew, knit, crochet, decorate cakes (she made the wedding cakes for almost every one of her children’s and grandchildren’s weddings), scrapbook and Stampin’ Up. She enjoyed writing poems and short stories and painting. If there was a craft to be done, she could master it and make it look easy.
Sandra went by many names including Mommasan, little mama, mom and her favorite name Meme.
Sandra was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Bucky Jones; her sister, Mary Lee Workman; and her grandson, Joshua James Dotson.
She is survived by her husband and best friend, Gene Arnold Hetherington; her children, Deborah Stacey, Carolyn Cleland, Scott Dotson (Lynn), Janet Ford (Steve), Greg Dotson and Brian Dotson (Lisa). She is also survived by her grandchildren, Dustin (Karen), Wes (Miranda), Britani, Lara (Aaron), Emma, Bobby, Sallie, Kerrissa, John, Gregg and Noah; and her great grandchildren, Wrowan, Margaret, Esther, Thomas, Monica, Simon and Brody.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2026, at Trinity Baptist Church, 1088 Hughes Rd., Madison, AL. The service will follow at the church with Brother Glenn Bowers officiating. Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens.
The family would like to extend our deepest appreciation and gratitude to the caregivers and staff at Kauhale at Byrd Springs including (but not limited to) Mona, Yana, Lorraine, D’Erica, Shay, Jennifer, LeighAnn and so many others. We would also like to thank Gentiva Hospice (Dawn, Virginia, Brian and Fiona) for the compassion and love they showed mom over these last six months, and especially Janay and Samantha for lovingly staying with mom.
