Sandra Irving was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree with distinction from the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
She is is a strong supporter of education and healthcare research having established student scholarships at Atlantic Canadian universities and at the University of Toronto. In the US, at Dartmouth College, she and Arthur Irving endowed a professorship, undergraduate studies in business, and scholarships for Canadian students. Together, they established endowed Chairs in Cardiology and Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Chair in Neurology at Lahey Hospital.
Sandra received recognition for her commitment to recognizing Canada's leading scholars in being named an honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Canada's senior national, bilingual council of distinguished Canadian scholars, humanists, scientists and artists. In 2014, Sandra was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Saint John for her many years of 'service above self.' She was presented with the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2003 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her volunteer and public service activities in 2012. Sandra is an honorary degree recipient from the University of New Brunswick, Acadia University, St. Thomas University, St. Mary's University, and Dalhousie University.
In 2016, Sandra was named to the Order of Canada, one of Canada's highest honors, for her outstanding service to her country. In 2019, she was recognized by the Canadian Red Cross in New Brunswick with the Humanitarian Award, honoring those whose leadership inspires others to pursue humanitarian goals.
In 2022, Sandra received the Order of New Brunswick, which honors current or former long-time residents of New Brunswick, Canada, who have demonstrated a high level of individual excellence and achievement in any field, having made outstanding contributions to the social, cultural or economic well-being of New Brunswick and its residents.