Sandra A Sternweis
February 22, 1950 - October 18, 2025
Obituary
FITCHBURG - Sandra Ann “Sandy” Sternweis, age 75, of Fitchburg, Wis., passed away peacefully on October 18, 2025, in her home surrounded by her loving family. Sandy was born on February 22, 1950, in Hartford, Wis., to Anne and Kenneth Kay. For more than 40 years, she dedicated her life to caring for others as a Registered Nurse - a calling that reflected her heart of compassion, her gentleness, and her steady, healing hands. Patients, families, and colleagues alike were touched by her kindness and unwavering sense of duty.
Sandy lived a life marked by courage and perseverance. Though she faced many challenges, she carried herself with quiet strength and an unbreakable spirit. Her resilience was her legacy - she met life’s hardships not with bitterness, but with grace, humor, and faith in brighter days.
Fiercely loyal to those she loved, Sandy was the rock and refuge for her family and friends. She had a gift for truly listening - for being fully present. Whether it was long morning talks with her mother and sisters, catching up with friends on the park bench at McKee Farms Park, or lending an ear to someone in need, Sandy’s warmth made everyone feel heard and valued.
A lover of sunshine and fresh air, Sandy found her peace outdoors - tending to small joys, savoring the warmth on her face, and finding beauty in life’s simple moments. Her happiest times were those spent with her grandchildren, especially her youngest, Tristan, sharing Oreo cookies, stories, and after-school adventures. She also adored caring for her son’s “grand dogs,” treating them with the same affection she showed everyone she loved.
Sandy’s family and friends will forever remember her encouraging spirit - her ability to lift others up, to celebrate their victories, and to remind them that even through life’s hardest seasons, they could “bloom through anything.” She treasured her Chapel Valley friends and the laughter, companionship, and shared adventures that brightened her days.
Sandy is survived by her children, Chadwick (Jane) Schloesser, Anne-Marie (Todd) Gunderson, and Jayme (Matthew) Stifler; her beloved grandchildren, Taylor and Tristan Schloesser; Phillip (Sheridan) Gunderson; Lauren Ashley (Adam) Howell; Emmett, Miles, Clara, and Henry Stifler; her siblings Keith (Mary) Kay, Cynthia (Timothy) Egger, Terese Kay, Pamela Kay, and Fran (James) Daniel; sister-in-law, Theresa Kay; as well as cherished great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and countless friends and extended family who will miss her deeply.
She was preceded in death by her infant son, Richard Sternweis; sister, Nancy Moen; brothers, Kenneth Kay and Kurt Kay; and her parents, Anne and Kenneth Kay.
Sandy’s light, laughter, and love will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. Her memory will be forever a gentle reminder of strength through hardship, joy in small things, and love without condition.
A celebration of life will be held at Chapel Valley Apartment’s Rose Room, 5781 Chapel Valley Road, Fitchburg, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson Fitchburg
Funeral & Cremation Care
2950 Chapel Valley Road
(608) 442-5002