Sondra Douglas, 84, passed away on June 5, 2021, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease, surrounded by family. She was a long-time resident of Greenwich, more recently moving to McLean, Va. to be closer to her children.
Sondra is survived by her sister, Teri Karch, children, Carey Hitchcock and Hutch Douglas, stepdaughters, Maggie Dillon and Sharon Douglas, and eleven grandchildren. She was pre-deceased by her loving husband of 35 years, Lawrence H. Douglas.
Sondra was a kind and capable woman with a mischievous sense of humor. She was born in Pittsburgh in 1937 to Jeanette and Presley Kates, the oldest of two daughters. She graduated from Mary Washington College with a degree in Speech Therapy. After working as a speech therapist at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., she moved to New York City where she was hired by Ford Models. She had a successful modeling career and was featured in both print media and over 150 television commercials. Additionally, she was the hostess of a gameshow, had her perfectly annunciated voice power the Bell telephone system, and was a finalist in the Miss Rheingold 1964 beauty contest. Sondra had a lifetime love of music, she enjoyed playing the marimba, piano and singing.
After marriage, she moved to Greenwich where she developed a second career in Greenwich real estate at Newhall & Ogilvy and later, as manager at, Country Living Associates. She was a member of the Greenwich Country Club and active in the Second Congregational Church and Junior League of Greenwich.
A memorial service will take place at Second Congregational Church at 10am on July 10 in Greenwich. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Parkinson’s Foundation (parkinson.org/).
