Sandra Claudette (McGillivray) Sosa, 90, died peacefully at home in Liberal Saturday, April 18, 2026 after a lengthy illness. 

She was born in Ulysses June 10, 1935, to Kenneth Dean McGillivray and Joyce Roberta Price. Sandra was a member of two pioneer families in southwest Kansas, the Kepleys and McGillivrays. Her paternal grandfather, Guy Farquhar McGillivray, was the first county clerk of Grant County.

Sandra attended schools in Wyoming and Colorado, as well as Ulysses. She was the first student to graduate from rural Red Rock School, northeast of Hickock. When her stepfather was transferred to El Dorado, Ark., she graduated from El Dorado High School in 1953.

She married James H. Randle at Hickam Air Force Base Chapel in Honolulu in 1954. They were divorced in 1961.

On June 15, 1962, she married the love of her life, Salvador Sosa, at First Baptist Church in Liberal.

For most of her adult life, she was an executive or departmental secretary. Sandra worked for Pan American Petroleum Corp. in El Dorado, Ark.; The Federal Credit Union in Pearl Harbor, HI; Anadarko Petroleum Corp. in Ulysses and Liberal; and Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Co. in Liberal.

She worked for the State of Kansas Social & Rehabilitation Services before serving for 10 years as the secretary at Faith Tabernacle Church in Liberal.

In 1998, she received The Southwest Daily Times Unsung Hero Award for her years of community service as a foster parent for children and teens in crisis and for her work and advocacy with Southwest Home Care Hospice.

Sandra’s faith was central to her identity; she was baptized at age 17 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Ulysses. For many years, she was a devoted Sunday School teacher, spiritual mentor, and leader of Bible studies and women’s groups at First Baptist Church, then Faith Tabernacle Church in Liberal. In 1993, she became the first woman elected to the Board of Deacons at Faith Tabernacle Church.

Sandra was an avid reader and a lifelong fan of country music. In her youth, she was a loyal listener to the Grand Ole Opry on WSM radio and a repeat attendee at the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, La. Her wit, compassion, and strong moral compass will be sorely missed, along with her considerable hosting, cooking, and baking skills.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Marvin Lee Skiff (Janis); and her infant son Jackie Kevin Randle.

She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Salvador Sosa of the home; her son, Cameron Randle of Garden City; her granddaughter, Angelica Celeste Garcia of Los Angeles; and siblings: Randall Skiff (Renee) of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., Scott McGillivray (Shelly) of Pagosa Springs, Colo., Becky Proctor (Ken) of Torrance, Calif., and Nancy McGillivray (Garv) of Manhattan Beach, Calif. She also leaves behind many cousins, nieces and nephews, each of whom she loved and adored.

• Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 30, 2026 at Hornung Family Funeral Home at 1212 W. 2nd Street in Liberal. The family will be present to greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, May 1, 2026 at Faith Tabernacle Church at 514 N. Kansas Ave. in Liberal, with Rev. Rex Petty and Rev. Canon Cameron Randle presiding.

Burial will follow at Restlawn Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to Healthwatch hospice or Faith Tabernacle Church in care of the Hornung Family Funeral Home, 1212 W 2nd Street, Liberal, KS 67901.

Condolences may be left at hornungfuneralhome.com.

 

Paid obituary