Sandra (Sandy) Faye Wickwire

If ever there was a person who exemplified the benefits of looking on the bright side of life regardless of the challenges that came her way, Sandra (Sandy) Faye Wickwire was Exhibit A. Sandy passed away June 5, 2025, at the age of 84 after many years of dealing with health challenges that would have broken the spirit of people not as equipped for such a journey.

Sandy met the world with a bright smile and would be the first to reach out to others in need rather than dwelling on her own situation. She enjoyed staying connected with friends and family through Facebook, which provided her extraverted personality with a window to the world that increasingly became less available to her.

Born February 2, 1941, in Chicago to Walter and Melinda Hartley, Sandy graduated from Barrington (Ill.) High School in 1959 along with a group of friends that included the sister of a young man who happened to have a car. The girls were adept at talking one Jerry Wickwire into driving them around town, and it didn’t take long for Sandy to take a liking to their handsome chauffeur.

The couple became engaged soon after Sandy’s graduation and they married on June 25, 1960. A little over a year later, they welcomed their first child, David, followed Jeffrey and Kim. The family moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1975, and Sandy spent most of her professional career handling the bookkeeping duties for Dr. David De Grave’s dental practice.

Sandy is survived by her husband of nearly 65 years, Gerald “Jerry” Wickwire; children David (Jane) Wickwire, Jeffrey (Laurel) Wickwire, and Kim (Tom) Konop; David and Jane’s children, Hannah (Tim) Churchill and their son, Mason, and Elizabeth “Libby” (Tommy) Kohl; Jeffrey and former wife Mary Kenneke’s children, Adam (Coley) Wickwire and their children, Jack and Emma; Amanda (Taylor) Austreng and their daughter, Bridget; and Emily (Nick) Sanfilippo; Laurel’s children, Salem, Delain and Quade Kazik; Kim and Tom’s children, Katie (Matt) Riese, Sam (Brooke) Konop and their children, Avaya and Brenley; and Ann (Ruben) Liogon; and Jerry’s sisters, Susie and Sally Hobein.

Predeceasing Sandy were her parents; her brother, Sonny; and Laurel’s daughter, Kaylee.

The family will greet visitors on Friday, June 13, from 9-10:45 a.m. at Hope Lutheran Church in Fond du Lac, 260 Vincent St., with services to follow. Zacherl Funeral Home in Fond du Lac is assisting with arrangements.