Several years ago I wrote a piece titled “Women in the Wheelhouse.” It started out like this:
“Women running their own boats. Who heard of such a thing? At least that’s how the predominantly male fleet of fishermen looked at the possibility in the early part of the 20th century.
“Women didn’t belong in the wheelhouse, barking out orders to a crew. Certainly not to men.
“But a few women ignored that sexist attitude and fought their way into the fishery. Some worked as crewmen. Some bought their own boats. Some had all female crews.”
I gave two examples of women who broke through the chauvinistic barriers, showing that, if a woman wanted to prove that she could handle a “man‘s job,” Kodiak was the place to do it.
Had I known what I now know about Sandy Vinberg, I would have added her to the list of examples.
Sandy Vinberg, who died recently, was a certified six pack captain who operated her charter boat, Island Memory, for five years. Before that, she crewed on the F/V D Donna J for 15 years. Sandy was also known for her delicious smoked red salmon, a skill that earned her the title, Sockeye Sandy.
Her friend, Deana Pikus, helped in the cold-smoke process, which Sandy worked hard at perfecting. Within several years she accomplished her goal.
Deana also accompanied Sandy on her charter trips.
While Sandy felt at home on Kodiak Island waters, she was in her element working in her garden. She kept up a beautiful yard, said her sister, Mary Ann Holmes. “Everybody commented on her yard,” said another sister, Dee Vinberg Jerling. “She had a ‘green thumb,’” she said.
That “thumb” came in handy in another skill Sandy perfected: bowling.
According to a Kodiak Daily Mirror article written by Derek Clarkston, Sandy made Kodiak sports history in November 1993 when she became the first woman to bowl a sanctioned 300 game at Tropic Lanes. She was the sole member of the Perfect Game Club until 2017 when Jennifer Gunderson accomplished the feat. Clarkston noted that Sandy was one of Alaska’s top female bowlers in the early 1990s, sporting the state’s best average during the 1990-91 (200), 1992-93 (201) and 1993-94 (201) league seasons.
She was a fierce competitor on the lanes, bowling in three to four leagues and always practicing, wrote Clarkston. She held her own against the top men bowlers in Kodiak and even competed in Lower 48 tournaments.
In 2018, she was inducted as the 13th member into the Kodiak Women’s Bowling Association Hall of Fame.
Accomplished bowlers such as Jennifer Gunderson, sought advice from Sandy, who also coached Little Dribblers basketball teams.
Champion bowler ,gardener, coach and charter boat operator: With all of the activities Sandy engaged in, it’s remarkable that she found the time to volunteer in other organizations, such as the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary.
Mary Ann Holmes said her sister was also well known for her popcorn balls, which she distributed every year at the bank, Safeway, Sutliffs and the Kodiak Area Native Association building.
Sandy’s roots were in the village of Karluk, where her father, Charlie Reft, grew up. Her mother, Edna, was raised in Bristol Bay.
Sandy was born April 24, 1954, in Kodiak,
She attended Kodiak High School, graduating in 1972. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Sandy was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011. After undergoing an invasive surgery, she “bounced back,” said her sisters, and continued to be active in spite of setbacks, such as infection. She lived in her house, with her Australian shepherd.
Doctors called Sandy a “miracle,” said Mary Ann. She outlived their expectations by 14 years.
Sandy’s caregiver said that she “fought a hard fight; she’s a miracle in so many ways.”
Shortly after Sandy’s dog died, she passed from this life to the next at home with family around.
Preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Donald, her sister, Donna Vinberg, Sandy Vinberg is survived by sisters: Carolyn Merrigan, Kodiak; Mary Ann Holmes, Kodiak; Katherine (Dolly) Bloodworth, Hendersonville, North Carolina; Donald J. Vinberg, Idaho and Kodiak; Dee (Vinberg) Jerling, Kodiak, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Those who plan to make a memorial contribution in Sandy Vinberg’s honor are encouraged to make donations to organizations that were meaningful to her: the Humane Society and the Alaska State Bowling Association.
Sandy was buried at sea, a fitting closure for one who was inspired and drew a living from it. The ocean provided her with the means by which she earned the title, “Sockey Sandy.”
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