Sandy Corrales, Dedicated Antelope Valley Civic Leader, Passes Away at 60

PALMDALE, Calif. — Sandy Corrales, a longtime Antelope Valley community leader, education advocate, business leader and political activist whose involvement in the community spanned more than three decades, passed away on September 18. 2026, she was 60 years old.

Corrales was born September 24, 1965, in Los Angeles. She graduated from Belmont High School in 1983 and later attended USC, where she studied journalism.

She moved to Palmdale in 1988 and quickly became involved in community events, meetings and civic affairs. She volunteered with Jim Ledford’s campaign for Palmdale City Council in 1990 and his campaign for mayor in 1992.

In 1992, Corrales was appointed to the Palmdale Planning Commission during a period of rapid growth for the city. She later served as president of the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce, becoming one of the youngest people in recent history to hold the position.

Corrales remained deeply involved in local civic and political affairs throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including several campaigns for Palmdale City Council.

Her public service expanded into education when she was elected to the Palmdale School District Governing Board in 2001. She also held leadership roles with the Democratic Club of the High Desert and the Antelope Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

For more than 30 years,

Corrales participated in local political action and community organizations operating under names including Palmdale on the Move, Up with Palmdale and Palmdale First. Through those efforts, she remained involved in campaigns, community issues and local elections.

In 2013, Corrales worked as a field representative for California

Assemblymember Steve Fox. Beginning around 2014, she served in several capacities with Learn4Life public charter schools.

Beyond the positions she held, Corrales was known by many simply as Sandy — someone who showed up. She attended meetings and community events and built friendships across the Antelope Valley over decades.

A Final Wish

Sandy Corrales & Vladimir Gomez

In the final chapter of her life, Sandy entrusted her friend Vladimir Gomez with a deeply personal request. She asked Gomez to publish an article after her passing and to help bring together the family, friends and community members who had shared in her life.

Sandy had been privately dealing with an illness, but she chose not to make that part of her life public. Those closest to her respected her wishes, and the details of her illness will remain private. Gomez said Sandy asked him to respect that privacy while she was alive and entrusted him with helping carry out her wishes afterward.

Gomez has also spoken with Sandy’s family about her wishes and said the family has authorized him to help carry them out.

Larry Chimbole, Sandy Corrales, James Ledford , Sandy as the recipient of the Athena Award

For nearly four decades, Sandy made the Antelope Valley her home. She participated in its civic life, its schools, its businesses, its campaigns and its community organizations. Along the way, she formed friendships and relationships that crossed generations.

Now, in keeping with one of her final wishes, those people will have an opportunity to come together — not to focus on the illness she chose to keep private, but to remember Sandy and celebrate the life she shared with the Antelope Valley.

Details regarding the community gathering will be announced when the time is right and in accordance with the family’s wishes.

Funeral services will be private and reserved for family only. We kindly ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.

Photis Courtesy of Sandy Corrales