Sandra Mercier Eiler

March 22, 1942 - November 18, 2015

In Memory…. Sandy passed away on November 18, 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She was born in Oswego, New York, the daughter of Joseph and Hattie Mercier. She married Larry Tracy Eiler at Saint Mary’s Church on January 23, 1965. Sandy was one of a kind - she lived every life experience to the fullest and left a lasting impact on all she met. From her time as an emergency room nurse, to helping kids in pediatrics, to serving countless women in dealing with the emotional side of breast cancer, while raising seven children with her husband Larry, she was the ultimate giver. She always put others first and lived with class and a boundless zest for life. She was a devoted professional having reinvented her career by trading in her nurse’s cap to wear an entrepreneurial hat for the past 28 years as co-partner with husband Larry in running Eiler Communications, a long-time agency leader in public relations and marketing in Michigan. She gracefully transitioned into this new career and yet still found time to serve others in her many community service roles. Chief among those efforts were a commitment to raising money and awareness for breast cancer research. A breast cancer survivor herself, Sandy was a former member of the Community Board of Directors of the San Francisco Bay Area Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. She was also named a "Hero of Breast Cancer" by the Karmanos Cancer Institute. She was invited to The White House to meet President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton to discuss raising awareness for the disease. Sandy was also heavily involved locally with Dawn Farm, a substance abuse recovery center where she was a director, and the Ann Arbor Arts Center. Sandy is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph Mercier and Hattie Mercier. Sandy is survived by her husband of 50 years, Larry, and their seven children, Tracy Eiler, Derek (Sarah) Eiler, Jennifer (Andrew) Potter, Lauren (Anthony) Brockington, Jerrett Eiler, Sean (Abigail) Eiler, and Meghan Eiler, as well as their nine grandchildren who affectionately knew her only as “Honey” - Alex and Aaron Potter, Luke Broering, Ryan and Kelsey Eiler, Joey and Cara Eiler, Logan Eiler, and Jaden Brockington. A celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, November 24th at 11am at St. Mary Student Parish, 331 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. The family will receive guests for visitation and sharing of favorite Sandy stories starting at 10am at the Church, followed immediately by the service at 11am. The celebration will continue with a small gathering at the Ann Arbor Golf & Outing Club at 400 E Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 following the service for those that want to share a memory, raise a toast, or enjoy a slice of her famous sausage bread. Out of town guests may book hotel rooms at a discounted hotel rate athttp://www.webersinn.com/ using a code of SANDYMB for rooms Sunday through Wednesday next week. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Mary Student Parish to help advance the world by giving to those in need.http://www.stmarystudentparish.org/give/