Joe Langston Sandel
Joe Langston Sandel, 102, a resident of Webster, Texas, passed away on April 26, 2025. He was born in Galveston, Texas on August 5, 1922, to parents Langston Howard Sandel and Josephine Koster Sandel.
Joe proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force after graduation from the University of Texas at Austin. He made a career as a professional structural engineer and worked at Union Carbide in Texas City for most of his career. Joe served as a board member of the Gulf Coast Water Authority and championed the switch away from groundwater extraction to address subsidence. During his lifetime, Joe shared his love for gardening with family and friends, and he enjoyed membership in the Bromeliad Society of Houston. Joe cherished the community at the Dickinson First United Methodist Church and particularly his friends in its Agape Sunday School Group.
Joe is preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife of 54 years, Nelta. He leaves behind his children Ellen McCaffrey (Jim), Martha Martin, Kelly Simmons (Bruce) and Scott Sandel (Jim Marich); grandchildren Richard Parrish, Michael McCaffrey, Ty Martin (Star Zagofsky), Kelsey Betz (Brannen), Jill Almai (Milaud) and Mark Simmons; and great-grandchildren Mark, Laura, Elizabeth Parrish-Lorcy (Francois) and Megan Parrish, Rad Martin, Beckett and Kinzie Betz, and Violet Almai.
In his honor, there will be a visitation on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 5-7:00 p.m. at Crowder Funeral Home at 851 FM 517 Road West in Dickinson. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Dickinson First United Methodist Church, 200 FM 517 Road West, Dickinson and will, at Joe’s wish, serve Bluebell ice cream. Memorials may be made to Dickinson First United Methodist Church or to Friends of Helen Hall Library in League City.
What an incredible soul. I was so blessed to know Joe and assist with his care. Joe you will be missed. Love you- Stephania White (A1 home health)
Stephanie, I don’t know what we would have done without you these past couple of years. You are an angel!
I had a wonderful time getting to know Joe working with him twords the end 😌 such a kind old soul, we shared a birthday and he reminded of my own dad. Best wishes to his family I hope you all make it through this tough time ❤️
Such a fine gentleman with a beautiful smile. So charming and friendly. I still have the bromeliad he gave me years ago. Survived the freeze and is sprouting again. God bless him.
Mary Ann Taylor
(His former neighbor Michelle’s mom)
Thank you for your kind words. We really cherished his Audubon neighbors!
What a wonderful picture of a great human being. Mr. & Mrs. Sandel were a big part of my childhood with swim team and the Methodist Church. He was always just a great guy and truly loved his plants and his church. He and Mrs. Sandel knew everything we all did as teenagers. They were a very fun couple. Sharing his love of plants with his son Scott, gave Scott an amazing career. I still remember when they built the greenhouse. He led a life we should all emulate, a life of duty, honor and respect. He will be deeply missed by all whose lives he touched.
Sam, you’re quite the gentleman. Thanks for the kind words. See you soon hopefully.
So blessed to know Joe and his family. He was always ready to help anyone.
We were Blessed to be part of the Dickinson community and know such nice people.
I was privileged to meet Joe at an event given by a friend earlier this year. What an exceptional man he was! Easy to talk with, and very humble. Deepest sympathy to his family and those who loved him.
so blessed to have had the privilege of sitting at the same table with Joe and his loving family for a special holiday. funny, kind, intelligent, and lived a FULL life. keeping him in my prayers. 🙏🏼 and grateful for the friendship i have in my life with the strong women he raised.
All of us in your Bunco Games Group are praying for peace and happy memories to heal your heart and your family. We loved sending him birthday cards on his 100th birthday and hearing you talk about your “Daddy”.He will alway be watching over you all. Hugs and prayers.
Gary and I send the Sandel family our deepest condolences. Joe was such a nice man, a lover of bromeliads and Blue Bell! He was a rabid Astros fan and he and his daughter Kelly rarely missed watching or listening to and discussing a game! He took good care of himself and his longevity is inspiring. Heaven gained a great one!
Gary and Mary Ann Birchfield
My husband, David, and I had the privilege of having breakfast each morning with Joe at Brookdale Senior Complex for the 4 years we have lived here. He was a special person in our dining room and a permanent member of our breakfast group. We became so fond of him…. getting to know him and enjoying his sense of humor and sharing our stories together. He endeared himself to us with his infectious laugh. He shared the same birthday with our first son……and one grandson. Our server, Amy, placed his coffee cup where he always sat…. filled it with flowers and two American flags as a memorial to him at our table. He is very much missed.
Mary and David,
My dad held you all in such high regard that it made going downstairs such a treet each morning.
– Scott
Dear Kelly and Bruce, Scott and Jim
May Mr.Sandel rest in peace, and may the many years of his love and devotion to you and all the family assuage your grief and loss. He was a great man in the classic sense…kind, measured, a true lover of nature and beauty, devoted to his family, his community, and God. All of us who knew him during his 102 years are better for it.
I hope he and Nelta are having a heckuva time at their long due reunion.
Peace, Chris Molloy
I worked with Nelta fir many years at League City State Bank for many years and loved her and Joe. Joe was was a great friend and always will remember that great laugh of his. Joe and Nelta were so much fun to be around.
Dawn & Bob Jacobson:
We were on one side of Joe’s home. He was sweet to our kids growing up @ they liked him because he was so kind & talked to them & asking what they were doing.
He would show us his Bromeliads in his backyard & we still have several of them
from him.
He was so funny & sweet. His wife, Nelta, was sweet too but we got tickled when he
would tell us he was driving to somewhere so she could gamble a little & he would say “Nelta’s going to visit her money $. Ha ha
Again, a great gentleman & had stories to tell about their trips & smiling & he would tell us the best places to go. We missed him when he went to the apartment in Webster & we only visited once & we were sorry about that. A very special man!
What can I say about Mr. Joe, other than he was one of the greatest men I’ve ever known! Along with being such a great friend and next door neighbor!! He was so sweet, so kind, extremely intelligent, and a wonderful story teller!! He would tell us stories from when he was just 6 years old growing up in Galveston! All up through school, college, service in the Air Force to meeting Ms. Nelta, their trips, all the children, grand children! Seriously an incredible man!! Exchanged his knowledge of Bromeliads and other plants that he shared with us (which blessed to still have some ☺️), his love for the Stros, which we watched many games together and eating Mexican and seafood. Memories forever! 🤗 He will be missed dearly and never forgotten! We are comforted to know he is now resting in peace in God’s arms and reunited with Ms. Nelta, the love of his life! Our deepest condolences to his family, which we are also thankful to call our friends/family. Much love! Michelle and Leo Gonzalez 🥰🙏🏻✝️❤️😘
Dear Kelly, Bruce and the rest of the Sandel family. I never met “Daddy” but we heard so much about him from Kelly that I feel like I did know him. I am so sorry for your loss. I know he will be missed and remembered very well.