Alma Pearl Sandy Blackmon Gillotte 82 of Columbia died Wednesday January 30 2008 after a long illness. Mrs.Gillotte was born on February 1 1925 in Carolene N.C. and was the middle of nine children of the late Carl Johnson Blackmon and Alma Pearl Hatfield Blackmon. She was a current member of St. John's Episcopal Church Wheat Street and a former member of Chappells Baptist Church in Chappells SC. Sandy Gillotte graduated from Chappells High School in 1942 and turned down an academic scholarship in order to support herself and her family financially. While working in Orangeburg during World War II she met and later married Robert Paul Gillotte an airman serving in the French Air Force as an instructor for aspiring pilots at the Hawthorne School of Aeronautics in Orangeburg S.C. Following the war the couple moved to Milwaukee WI where Mr. Gillotte worked for the Allis-Chalmers Export Service Department. In 1953 Sandy accompanied her newly naturalized husband to his hometown of Oran Algeria so that they could care for his ailing father and take over the family Office Supply business. The family departed Algeria and returned to America in 1959 following an escalation in fighting during that country's civil war. The family temporarily settled in Chappells SC until Mr. Gillotte could firmly establish his entrepreneurial dream in Columbia the Robert P. Gillotte Co. Inc. From the companys inception to its ultimate sale to Atlantic Envelope a division of National Service Industries Sandy Gillotte served as an officer of the company and personal secretary to her husband using her outstanding bi-lingual and secretarial skills in advancement of the companys goals. Her tireless devotion to her husband throughout 60 years of marriage greatly contributed to his success and that of the company and remains one of her greatest legacies.Aside from these accomplishments however Sandy Gillottes greatest contribution in this life as been as a devoted mother and grandmother. To the three children and seven grandchildren she leaves behind she has been the embodiment of unconditional love wisdom and nurturing and she will forever remain their light and inspiration. Sandy Gillotte is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law Danielle and Bill Hawley of Columbia and Sylvia Gillotte and Sidney Ettedgui of Sarasota FL; a son and daughter-in-law Mark and Jan Gillotte of Columbia; nine grandchildren Claire Gillotte Dunn Leslie Gillotte Paula Gillotte Malsert Chapman Nicole Gordon Erin Mewshaw Bertin Mewshaw Jeremy Ettedgui and Jason Ettedgui; one sister Joni Blackmon Sloan of Columbia; and two brothers Jay Blackmon of Greenwood and Jimmy Blackmon of Houston TX. Funeral services were conducted at 11:00 AM Friday at St. John's Episcopal Church by the Rev. J. Fletcher Montgomery. Interment did follow in Chappells (S.C.) Baptist Church cemetery at 3:30 PM.Visitation with the family was held from 5:30 to 7:30 PM Thursday at St. Johns Episcopal Church. The family would like to thank the entire staff of the 2nd floor Intensive Care Unit at Providence Memorial Hospital for their loving care to Sandy and the family during her illness. The family requests that you honor Mrs. Gillotte's memory by making memorials to St. John's Episcopal Church 2827 Wheat Street Columbia SC 29205 or Chappells Baptist Church Cemetery Fund c/o Betty Harmon 3018 Scurry Island Road Chappells SC 29037.Active pallbearers were Bertin Mewshaw Bill Hawley Sidney Ettedgui Jay Blackmon Jim Blackmon Mike Blackmon Richard Sloan and Bud Hult. Honorary pallbearers were Ray Mewshaw Foster Chapman Malcolm Gordon Mike Risher Mark Gasque Paul Brannon and Tracen Brannon.Messages to the family may be sent via email to notes@whitakerfuneralhome.comWhitaker Funeral Home 1704 College Street Newberry is assisting the family.