After a long battle with illness, Sondra, born December 22, 1940, passed away peacefully on December 26, 2023, near Rio Verde, AZ with her son Brad at her bedside. She and Brad celebrated her 83rd birthday on December 22 and, as was her fondest wish, they were together on her final Christmas Day.

She graduated from UMKC in 1964 with a degree in Dental Hygiene. She and her husband Thomas Franklin Cutcliffe lived in various places including Barstow, CA, Dodge City; Dayton, OH; Mercer Island, WA; Rancho Palos Verdes, CA; and, after retirement, Rio Verde, AZ.

As she raised her two sons, Todd Mathes and Brad Holman, Sondra transformed her creative hobbies into a distinctive career as a designer, focusing mostly on fanciful holiday-themed ornaments and decorations carried in shops all over the world. To oversee fabrication of her creations, she traveled frequently to the Philippines, Taiwan, and mainland China.

Sondra and Tom both loved to create wood carvings, mostly Santas of various sizes and shapes. For a time, they also had a side hustle painting murals in homes, offices, and even a pediatric dental office where they camouflaged scary-looking equipment with whimsical animals and playful scenes.

Sondra loved to tell stories, especially funny ones. After her retirement, she spent countless hours creating family trees for relatives and friends dating back centuries. She also loved to write poetry. Sondra faced her illness bravely and matter-of-factly, vowing to experience and share as much joy as she could every day. Sondra was a loyal friend who animated her concern for others in concrete ways.

Sondra is survived by her son Brad and his wife Christina, granddaughter Diana Watts, sister Jayne Holman Shalby, brother William Holman, and his wife Olga.

A graveside service for Tom and Sondra will be held on Thursday, June 6th, at 1:00 at Maple Grove Cemetery. Thoughts and memories may be shared in the online guestbook at www.swaimfuneralhome.com