Anita's Obituary
Anita Louise Sandoval Kirby passed away surrounded by her loved ones on January 15, 2023. She was born on June 5, 1942, in Winslow, Arizona to Manuel Jr. and Katherine Sandoval. She was the youngest of their four children, and the much loved only daughter. She was raised with her brothers Thomas, Robert, and Leo, and was very much a tomboy playing baseball and running on the red Arizona ground. She shared her childhood with many close relatives and remained close to them throughout her life. Her life was surrounded by her family, and she had many stories of the music, food, and laughter that she shared. Her father became ill while she was in high school, and his care required a move to California for better health care.
She graduated from high school and business school with the hopes of helping her mother and father. One day, she went to a dance at a local Air Force base, and there she met a young man from Iowa, Maurice “Mort” Kirby. The two only dated for three months before deciding to marry, and they married on September 14, 1963, in San Bernadino, California with her loving family present.
Anita looked forward to traveling with her military husband, but she often lamented that she only made it to Marysville, California and Great Falls, Montana. The couple found they loved Montana, and they set about setting up their lives there. After several years, they were blessed by their only child, Valerie, and they lived in their little house on the southside for many years. Anita often worked housekeeping and babysitting jobs to raise money for her family, and eventually she took a job as a housekeeper at the Cascade County Convalescent Home. She worked there for 15 years, eventually becoming the housekeeping supervisor. She retired and later became the caregiver for her mother. She moved to the country, and she loved her “pet” deer and wildlife that she could care for. She was very close to her mother and spent as much time as possible ensuring her mother was well cared for and loved. After the death of her mother in 2003, Anita became a volunteer at Benefis Skilled Nursing Center and enjoyed being around her friends.
She and Mort did some traveling in the motor home which she enjoyed. She loved cooking, especially the New Mexican food from her childhood and family. She loved the idea of quilting and sewing although she had many more projects than time. Gradually, time and illness began to take their toll on her, and on January 15, 2023, she decided to leave this world to be with her loved ones who had passed on before her. She leaves behind her daughter, Valerie Kirby-Johnson; son- in-law, Russell Johnson; grandson, Rhys Johnson of Great Falls; brother, Thomas Sandoval of Boise, Idaho; sister-in-law, Betty Sandoval of Eagle, Idaho; and numerous close cousins, nephews and nieces. She may have been tiny, but she was fierce, and her love and fighting spirit will live on. May she rest comfortably in the arms of God and surrounded by eternal love.
