Sandra "Sandy" MacLean Clunies

Sandra (Sandy) MacLean Clunies, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, died peacefully September 9, 2026 at her home in Gaithersburg, Maryland with family at her side.  She is survived by her two children, Jonathan P. Clunies (Karen Crenshaw) and Katie Clunies, her two grandsons, Daniel Clunies (Vanessa) and Gregory, and three great grandchildren, Cameron, Joseph and Theodore.  She was born January 23, 1936 in Lexington, Massachusetts to Phyllis Cass Wardrobe and Daniel Fraser MacLean. Sandy graduated from Simmons College in Boston (now Simmons University) and later earned a Master’s Degree at Johns Hopkins University. Her professional career was spent in healthcare in both the private sector as a clinician, and in the federal government from which she retired as a Public Health Advisor.

 

While Sandy always enjoyed music, travel and her family, her lifelong passion was genealogy.  She was active in hereditary societies since the age of 12 when her grandmother, a DAR member, enrolled her into CAR – Children of the American Revolution. This presented the opportunity for her first trip from New England to Washington DC where she served as a Page at the 1950 DAR Continental Congress.  After raising her family, she joined DAR herself in 1989 and, as a Certified Genealogist, spent many years working on genealogy credentials with the Board for Certification of Genealogists while joining many hereditary societies as a result of her extensive colonial New England ancestry. She actively served as a member and officer for many local, state and national genealogical groups, gave numerous presentations at local, regional, and national conferences. A past winner of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Family History Writing Contest, Sandy was awarded the Graham Smallwood Award of Merit by the Association of Professional Genealogists. She even wrote a book, A Family Affair: How To Plan and Direct the Best Family Reunion Ever, that was published by NGS and Rutledge Hill Press.

 

In keeping with Sandy’s wishes, no service will be held. In lieu of flowers, Sandy requested that people consider memorial contributions to Simmons University or a charity of your choice.