Sandra Agemian Borg, a longtime pillar of the Bergen County community and whose philanthropic endeavors were matched by her generosity of spirit, her profound devotion to family, and her passion for life, died Aug. 8. She was 83.

Sandy, as she was known, was married to Malcolm A. Borg, the  publisher of The (Bergen) Record, for 60 years. Mac is the former chairman of North Jersey Media Group, which, in addition to The Record, published The Montclair Times, The Ridgewood News, (201) Magazine, and other community newspapers.  

Sandy and Mac met at a glee club concert in 1957 featuring Yale and the Dwight School for Girls. Turns out there weren't enough boys for the concert so Mac was recruited by a friend. At the post-concert dance, he saw Sandy dancing with a Yalie, and cut in. The rest, as they say, is history.

As newlyweds, they settled in Tenafly, then moved to Englewood in 1980. They continued to live there and in Spring Lake.

Family was everything to Sandy and she, in turn, was its heart and soul. Her deep love for each and every family member – and her ability to give every person her undivided attention – was her greatest legacy and guided her graceful approach to life.

She was immensely proud of her family’s immigrant roots as the daughter of Charles A. Agemian, who was born in Aleppo, Syria, to Armenian parents and came to the U.S. as a child. Her mother, Mary Plumb Agemian, was the daughter of Italian immigrants.

Sandy’s introduction to her beloved Spring Lake came from her parents, who spent summers there when she and her sister, Mary Lou, were young girls. Later, Charles and Mary bought a home in Spring Lake and the two sisters and their own young families would enjoy their summers together.

Sandy and Mac had three children: John, Jennifer, and Stephen. Then came four grandsons: Alexander, Austin, Charles, and William.

And, oh, how those boys filled Sandy’s life with joy. She was the consummate grandmother – never, for example, missing one of their games despite sub-zero temperatures, freezing rain, blazing sun, or long distances. 

Sandy didn’t stop there. A legion of friends has echoed each other in describing Sandy as their own second mother (or second grandmother), teaching them important life lessons by “listening intently and providing sage advice in her own quiet and wonderful and caring way.”  Indeed, there was often a parade of kids – related and unrelated – walking to her porch next door in Spring Lake for homemade cookies and homespun advice. Even her grandsons’ dogs would run over first thing in the morning to join her while she had her coffee and did the crossword puzzle.

And speaking of dogs, they most certainly were part of her extended family, too. Sandy was devoted to all of them, even whipping up their own bacon and eggs from time to time. 

Sandy loved to cook for people and delighted in hosting large gatherings at her table, especially when her children, grandchildren, and their friends were included. She would always say that “a little bit of love” was the secret ingredient in her recipes. As one admirer put it: “She nourished us with food and, more importantly, she nourished our souls.”

She was a perfect counterpoint to Mac, who sometimes took pride in playing the gruff disciplinarian (though often with a twinkle in his eye) and who didn't hesitate to say whatever happened to be on his mind, no matter the circumstances. Sandy was much more of a reserved listener, with a quiet strength that underscored her philosophy of thinking before speaking. “She always knew what to say, when to say it, and how to say it,” one fan said. Theirs was a wonderful balance.

Sandy was a 1957 graduate of the Dwight School for Girls in Englewood, where she served as class president for her junior and senior years. The faculty chose Sandy for the honor of being the Madonna in the Christmas pageant. She received her bachelor of arts degree from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., in 1961.

Sandy was devoted to The Elisabeth Morrow School (EMS) in Englewood. She joined the Parents Association soon after her children enrolled and later served as its president. She served on the EMS Board of Trustees for 11 years and later was appointed Trustee Emerita. Last year, Sandy and her family were honored for more than five decades of service.

She also was devoted to Dwight, which became the Dwight-Englewood School. She served as a Trustee for six years, as the Board’s vice president, and was also appointed Trustee Emerita. In  2000, she received Dwight-Englewood’s Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2014, she was named Honorary Co-Chair of the school’s 125th anniversary gala.

In addition, Sandy volunteered for the Junior League of Bergen County, the John Harms Theater in Englewood, now bergenPAC, and the Hackensack University Medical Center Bio-Ethics Committee.

In her professional life, Sandy also worked as board vice chair of Macromedia Incorporated and director of the Bergen Record Corp., a subsidiary.

In addition to her husband, children, and grandchildren, Sandy is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Monica Borg of Tenafly, NJ; her sister, Mary Lou Agemian Heath and her husband Michael Heath of South Bend, Indiana; her niece, Jacqueline Heath Carrillo of South Bend, Indiana; and her niece, Carolyn Heath of Austin, Texas. Sandy was predeceased by her niece, Christine Heath.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to a favorite charity or to Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation, 343 Thornall St., 7th Floor, Edison, NJ 08837. Please note that the donation is in memory of Sandra Borg.

Services will be announced at a later date.