Lynn A. Sandstedt

Lynn A. Sandstedt was born to Rueben and Edna (Bartram) Sandstedt on a ranch in Stoneham, Colorado, the youngest of four children. His journey in education embarked in a one-room schoolhouse, a consolidated school, and Sterling High School where a teacher inspired him to further study the Spanish language. He graduated from Colorado State College, (now the University of Northern Colorado) in Foreign Language education. He later received his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Colorado, Boulder in Spanish Literature and History. A Fulbright Scholarship winner, along with three National Defense Association scholarships, he began his teaching career at Greeley High School (now Greeley Central High School) where he was also Supervisor of the Foreign Language program for District 6. As a professor at UNC, he served as chairman of the Foreign Language Department, and later the Department of Hispanic Studies. Always involved professionally, he founded and/or lead each of the primary Foreign Language teaching organizations in the state of Colorado and Nationwide; including the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers, the Foreign Language Administrators of Colorado, the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Language, the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, the South West Conference on Language Teaching, and the Joint National Council of Languages and International Studies in Washington, D.C. During his career he received numerous awards and honors from various institutions and organizations, both domestic and international as well as Outstanding Teacher awards at every level. The most significant recognition of his work came in 1998 when he received the coveted King Juan Carlos award titled "The Cruz of Alfonso el Sabio” which was presented by the Ministry of Education in Spain during a ceremony in Madrid. He was invited by the Institute Ortega y Gassette to evaluate and instruct in the King Juan Carlos Summer Program for teachers from the U.S. to study in Spain, an honor typically limited to native scholars. One of his most valued domestic honors was being named one of the initial one-hundred distinguished alumni during the 100th Anniversary of the University of Northern Colorado. His work in teaching methodology, combined with the understanding of the culture of the Spanish-speaking world, is carried on in the eighteen textbooks he has co-authored for beginning and intermediate University levels. Lynn is survived by his wife, Phyllis, of 53 years; sons, Todd (Alison) of Berthoud, CO, Scott (Kristina) of Columbia, MO; brother, Van (Shirley) of Hastings, Nebraska; brother-in-law, David (Marilyn) Troudt of Omaha, NE; sister-in-law, Gloria Sandstedt of Sterling Colorado; grand-sons, David, Derek, and Harrison and grand-daughter, Addilyn; nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Neil, and sister, Betty. A celebration Lynn’s life will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 8, 2014 at First Congregational Church, 2101 16th Street, in Greeley. Memorial gifts may be given to the "Lynn Sandstedt scholarship Fund” and "The Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra” in care of Adamson Funeral Home, 2000 47th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80634. You are invited to share a favorite memory with Lynn’s family at adamsonchapels.com