A visitation with family will be held from 4:00 - 6:00 pm on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at Miller Funeral Home at 507 S. Main Ave, Sioux Falls, SD. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Calvary Episcopal Cathedral at 500 S. Main Ave, Sioux Falls, SD.

Sandra Lierman Pay was born on October 10, 1939, and died after a brief illness on June 18, 2026. Sandra was born in Gorgas U.S. Army Hospital in Ancon, Panama Canal Zone. Her family had been in Panama for three generations since the early days of construction on the Canal. She moved Stateside as a teenager, first to Detroit, MI, and then graduated from Granite City High School in Illinois. Sandra went to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, earning both a B.S. and an M.S in Speech Education. She later served Northwestern as a Regent and was proud to have her daughter and a granddaughter graduate from her beloved alma mater. Hail to thee, Northwestern!

Sandra taught English and Speech with the storied Mary Blackburn in Granite City, IL, imparting knowledge and public-speaking skills to hundreds of students. Seeking new adventures, she followed a friend to Philadelphia, where she met Douglas Knight Pay, a senior dermatology resident at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In the process of him curing her dry skin, they both fell in love. They were engaged at the Pay home on Lake Okoboji, and were married December 10, 1965, in Granite City, IL. Soon after they married, the U.S. Army sent Doug and Sandra to Fort Devens, MA, for a two-year Vietnam War stint. It was there that their twins, Allison Blair and Carson Thomas, were born. Following the Army, the family moved to Doug's hometown of Sioux Falls briefly, but after a winter of heavy snow and a childhood in the tropics, warmer weather beckoned. The family moved to San Diego, CA, where Doug purchased a private dermatology practice, and Sandra threw herself into bettering the community, leaving a lasting legacy.

When Sandra Pay came calling, people knew they were about to become involved in an incredible opportunity. She served as chair of the City of San Diego Arts and Culture Commission, chair of Opera Guilds international, president of the San Diego Opera Board, chair of Rady Children's Hospital Charity Ball, founded a laundromat for AIDS patients, and so much more. She was most proud of her leadership in bringing the San Diego Symphony successfully out of bankruptcy and creating a new musical culture.

In 2000, Doug and Sandra left San Diego to spend their "retirement" in South Dakota, home to generations of the Pay family since the mid-1800's. Once again, Sandra put her management and fundraising skills to work. She was a powerhouse on the boards of the Washington Pavilion, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (proud to bring on Delta David Gier as conductor), Sioux Falls Community Foundation, Sioux Falls Arts Council, Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department (collaborated on launching the Midco Aquatic Center), Downtown Rotary (the first Community Volunteer member), Avera McKennan (especially a new NICU), Calvary Episcopal Cathedral (senior warden) and was thrilled to help found Levitt at the Falls, where she wanted to share the dream of uniting people through music and volunteered at almost every concert for years.

She relished exploring all 50 states and seven continents, from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

Sandra was predeceased by her parents, William Joseph Lierman, Jr. (Charlotte McGlade), a brother, William Joseph Lierman III (Theresa), and an infant brother, Charles Lierman.

Sandra is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Douglas Knight Pay, their children, Allison Pay Crawford (Richard) of Sioux Falls, SD, and Carson Thomas Pay of San Diego, CA. She adored being Nana to her granddaughters, Elizabeth Blair Crawford and Charlotte Katherine Lancelot Crawford. She is also survived by her brother's children, William Joseph Lierman IV (Megan) and Keri Lierman of Eagle River, AK, and her husband's brother, Warren Pay (Mary Margaret) of San Diego, CA, and their daughter Danielle Heller (Bradley) of McKinney, TX. Her friends from near and far meant the world to her. She especially enjoyed the intellectual pursuits of the Wednesday Club in San Diego and her Sioux Falls book club.

Sandra deeply loved her husband and family, the impact of the arts, attending her grandchildren's activities, gardening, beautiful clothes and antiques, needlepoint, laughing with friends, playing the piano and singing, raising dogs, a cup of hot tea, learning new things, and enacting positive change in the world.

Memorial donations in Sandra Pay's name may be made to either Levitt at the Falls (Levitt's Matching Endowment Campaign c/o The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, The Depot at Cherapa Place, 200 N. Cherapa Pl., Sioux Falls, SD 57103) or to the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (301 S. Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57104).

A visitation with family will be held from 4:00 - 6:00 pm on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at Miller Funeral Home at 507 S. Main Ave, Sioux Falls, SD. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Calvary Episcopal Cathedral at 500 S. Main Ave, Sioux Falls, SD.