Sandra “Sandy” Yost (nee Durward), 73, of Chicago, died Dec. 24, 2016 at Rush Medical Center.
Sandra Lee Durward was born to Merle and Lucille (Hunter) Durward in Morrison on May 21, 1943. She married Lloyd Yost in February 1963, and they later divorced. She is a 1961 graduate of Morrison High School and a 1986 graduate of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. She also earned her MBA from the University of Illinois-Chicago in 1999.
Ms. Yost had two successful careers. She started her professional life as a legal secretary who served as president of the Illinois Legal Secretaries Association and the National Association of Legal Secretaries.
After many years as the office administrator with Braud, Warner, Neppl & Westensee, a law firm in Rock Island, she moved to Chicago for other career opportunities. She was a consultant with a law office management consultant firm, and then marketing manager for a law firm in Chicago.
In 1994, she left the legal world to work with doctors as the CEO/executive director for the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (AADEP-now known as the International Academy of Independent Medical Evaluators), where she worked tirelessly for almost 20 years retiring in July 2013. Sandy received numerous honors in her life including Legal Secretary of the Year and the President’s Award of Excellence from AADEP.
Sandy loved to travel and visited most of Europe as well as parts of Africa and Australia over the last 10 years. However, she experienced some amazing North American travel riding the rails through the Canadian Rockies and visiting many of the national parks in the United States.
Sandy is survived by C. Roger Streeter, with whom she shared a lot of adventures and a lot of love; her children, Bryan (Joan) Yost and Michelle (fiancé Kevin Fink) Belsey, of Brookfield; her granddaughters, Parley Belsey, Taylor Yost, Gibson Yost, Lauren Belsey and Hayley Belsey; her sister, Marjorie Luther; and numerous cousins and friends.
A celebration of life party for Sandy will be held Saturday, Jan. 7 at 5 p.m. in Salon A of the Grand Ballroom at the JW Marriott Chicago, 151 W. Adams St.
Memorial donations are appreciated to Veritas Medicus, c/o International Academy of Independent Medical Evaluators, P.O. Box 1537, Elk Grove Village, 60009-1537. Contributions may also be made in memory of Sandra Yost to support Prentice Women’s Hospital, c/o Northwestern Memorial Foundation, 251 E. Huron St., Galter Pavilion 3-200, Chicago, 60611.
Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.
