Our beloved mother, partner, sister, and friend, Rebecca “Becky” Sands, embarked on her last great adventure on July 30, 2026, at the age of 76, leaving behind a legacy of love and laughter that sustains our family as we grieve her passing and move forward in celebration of her life.
Born Rebecca Jean Siler on June 12, 1950, in Bradford, Arkansas, Becky was, by all accounts, a rambunctious child who enjoyed the great outdoors and fondly recalled time spent with her siblings, Carol and C.W., along with a haphazard array of animal friends, including family dogs, stray cats, and at least one cantankerous goat. Becky’s love of animals followed her into adulthood, and she was well known for spoiling family pets, including her beloved Chihuahua, Chewie. From childhood, Becky’s cheerful and undeniably feisty demeanor endeared her to friends and strangers alike, and her determined nature sustained her through a lifetime of challenges, including an incredibly brave final battle with cancer.
Following her graduation from Bradford High School in 1968, Becky ventured out into the wider world. First to Little Rock, Arkansas, to train in the burgeoning field of punch card data processing, the foundational stepping-stone for modern computer engineering, and later working in data science at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. It was with great pride that she would watch her oldest grandson follow in her footsteps decades later, pursuing a graduate degree in computer engineering thanks, in no small part, to the years of loving guidance and mentorship she had given him.
With the births of her daughters, Delana and Tara, Becky found her true calling. A nurturing soul by nature and a fearless mama bear, she threw herself wholeheartedly into the role of mother and in the years that followed she would be steadfastly at her daughters’ sides for each life milestone, even transitioning her professional goals so that she could work in the local elementary school, ever nearby and ready on a moment’s notice to lend a hand in support of her girls’ dreams. What started as a way to be close to her own daughters quickly morphed into a passion for helping children, with a particular emphasis on differently abled children and those who were at-risk or had special needs. Becky found a second calling in that child-centered work which would shape her professional path for the remainder of her career.
In the 1990’s, Becky would continue her work in education at Frankfurt International School in Frankfurt, Germany. Those years in Germany would hold some of Becky’s dearest memories and mark a turning point in the trajectory of her life story, when she first met her
partner of more than twenty-eight years, Sue. After a brief return to the United States, Becky joined Sue at the Taipei American School, in Taipei, Taiwan. That posting would prove to be a springboard for many worldly adventures over the years and the memories and friendships made there would continue to be a source of joy for Becky for years to come.
Becky’s passion for helping children was a common thread that ran throughout her adult life, and it was no surprise to those who knew her that, after many years of adventures across multiple continents, it was the call of grandchildren that eventually brought her home to the United States.
In 2004, Becky would settle down in Roane County, Tennessee, in the shadow of the Cumberland Plateau, where she would live for the next two decades, feeding her passion for helping at-risk children during those years through her work with the local HeadStart program until her retirement in 2020.
In retirement, Becky was finally able to lean into her lifelong love of gardening. When she wasn’t enjoying a visit with one of her beloved grandchildren or traveling the byways of Roane County with Chewie riding shotgun, she could generally be found providing expert managerial direction to Sue on the proper care and management of the profusion of plants and birds that she cultivated in their beloved back garden. Becky’s back porch was a veritable wonderland of beautiful blooms and birds, and it was a source of immense comfort to her toward the end of her life to share that little piece of Heaven with visitors who came by to chat and offer support.
Becky leaves behind a world that is a little brighter and a garden that is a little fuller for her time here. Her legacy includes both a generation of children, far and near, whose lives were changed for the better by her commitment to them and a family shaped and buoyed by her indomitable spirit and her unconditional love. She will be missed forever.
She is survived by her partner, Susan L. Niemi; her daughters, Delana Sands McFarlin (David) and Tara Sands Davis (Cameron); her beloved grandchildren, Connor McFarlin, Ian McFarlin, Claire Davis, and Madeleine Davis; her siblings C.W. Siler (Susan) and Carol Siler Falwell (Kenny); and many treasured nieces, nephews, and friends, including Vanessa Falwell Skelton (Jason), with whom Becky shared a lifelong bond which she treasured. She is preceded in death by her mother, Adred Siler, and her father, Carl W. Siler, Sr.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 15th, 2026, at Kyker Funeral Home in Kingston, Tennessee. Visitation from 2pm – 3pm, with services to follow from 3pm – 4pm.