Remembering Oterius “Sandy the Flower Man”

A man who warmed the hearts of so many in Chattanooga.

Stories shared by people from all walks of life on how Oterius “Sandy the Flower Man” touched their lives for the better.

Sandy passed away last Sunday after his battle with cancer.

The beloved man was honored by the community Saturday with a candlelight vigil and memorial service hosted at the the John Henry Visual Performing Arts center.

Although the center is not yet open to the public, the owner, Joseph Lipsey III, says that he could not pass up on an opportunity to honor such a wonderful man and to use the venue for the service.

“He represented the city with a contagious smile,” Lipsey says. “He represented a zest for life, and he was a gentleman even with his pain and suffering of going through cancer, of having things stolen from him, so it’s great to have the city rally behind him to support him and give back to Sandy who gave so much to this town.”

Chattanooga Mayor Andy honored Sandy with a proclamation of Sandy Bell Day, which will be on February 14th. Berke also presented the inaugural Sandy The Flower Man Award to Sandy’s sister, Harriett Sills, the first award of its kind.

“This has been unbelievable,” Harriett says. “All the love, foremost, all the support. Honoring sandy in this magnitude, has really really warmed our hearts. So many people loved him, and so many people are showing their love.”

Sandy was also honored with artwork created by Chattanooga artists and a poem created by artist and poet Genesis the Greykid, that many people felt had captured Sandy’s vibrant spirit. The poem was displayed on all of the cards given out to those who came to the event.

A candlelight vigil at Sculpture Fields ended the night, with multiple candles held high, shining as bright as the genuine love Sandy seemed to have brought in so many lives.