North Andover - Sandra Sack Donahue, a dedicated teacher whose influence changed the lives of a generation of students, died on February 2 at Beth Israel Hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage. She was 81 years old.

Sandy was born on October 21, 1944 in Schenectady, NY to Gordon and Gail (Carlson) Sack. She spent most of her childhood in Burnt Hills, NY, where she gained her love of wildflowers, gardening, birdwatching, and reading.

She majored in English literature and minored in history at the University of Rochester. The influence of the Civil Rights movement and the experiences of childhood friends sent to fight in Viet Nam would give rise to a passion for justice that she would carry throughout her life.

After graduating, she got her first teaching job in Colchester, CT, where she met her late husband, Brian. Together, they were involved in organizing one of the state's first teachers' unions. She earned her Master's degree in education from Eastern Connecticut State Teachers College while teaching full time.

Sandy and Brian moved to North Andover, MA in 1973, a year before the birth of their first son. In those years she was also a painter and a writer – pursuits that fell away and never returned in the wake of the death of her teenaged brother Jeff in 1976, though she would encourage the writing of her three children and of countless students in the half century that followed.

Motherhood took Sandy out of the classroom for more than a decade. Throughout those years, she was a passionate advocate for improving public education in North Andover on behalf of her three children and the rest of the community. She returned to teaching in 1988, first as a long term substitute at North Andover High School and North Andover Middle School, and then at Haverhill's Nettle School.

In 1993, Sandy was hired to teach English and History at Essex Agricultural and Technical Institute ("Essex Aggie") where she would spend the rest of her career. Her years teaching at Essex Aggie were among the happiest of her adult life. She developed innovative curricula that invited teenagers to grapple with philosophical and social issues, mentored students and younger teachers alike, and shared her contagious love of reading and learning. She took a deep interest in each student, nourishing their passions, counseling them through personal challenges, and advocating for them in times of need.

Chronic pain issues forced Sandy to retire from teaching in 2007. In the remaining decades of her life, her former students continued to visit her, discussing life and books and politics over coffee and cookies in her sunroom. Several became like family members to her. Two of those students, Cara Backman and John Barret, continued to visit and help Sandy up until her death.

Sandy is survived by her sister, Barbara (Sack) Hartzog of New York, her three children – Seán of Maine, Shannon of Alaska, and Ryan of California and his wife Shannon – one grandchild, and two step-grandchildren. Memorial donations may be sent to the Great Bear Foundation or Mercy Corps. Wildflowers may be planted in her memory.

At Sandy's request, there will be no funeral.