Sandra Jean Phelps Czuchry

Sandra Jean Phelps Czuchry passed away peacefully on December 30th, 2023. She was born on December 31st, 1941, in Hartford, Connecticut to Ruth Taylor Phelps and John Fitzgerald Phelps. Sandra's love of family knew no bounds. This love of family was created when Sandra was just a child in the 1950s as she lived with several generations of family members under one roof in Andover, Connecticut: grandparents, Lewis and Helen Phelps, parents, Ruth and John, Uncle Charles, and younger siblings, Roger and Charlotte. The Phelps family would continue to grow with siblings David, Jonathan, and Deborah. Her true sense of home originated in that small town of Andover and her commitment to family only continued to grow deeper.

Every person connected to her siblings was loved deeply by Sandra: Roger married to Cheri, with their daughter Shelby and son Jason; Charlotte married to John Wright, with their daughter Heather and son Joshua; David married to Sara, with their son Ben and daughter Kallie; Johnathan married to Genina, with their sons Harrison and Hunter and daughter Olivia; Deb married to the late Darryl Pettinelli, with sons Max and Cal.

Sandra married Andrew John Czuchry, Sr. in 1961 and they were blessed with four children and three grandchildren: son Andrew John Czuchry, Jr. married to Diane Henry Czuchry with their son Drew and fiancé Regan; daughter Karen Czuchry Sallman married to Florian Sallman with their daughters Selina and Sydney; son Michael Czuchry, married to Rebecca Czuchry; and son Matthew Czuchry.

Throughout her entire life Sandra immersed herself in a beautiful and eclectic variety of interests.

EDUCATION

In 1954 Sandra earned badges in Girl Scouts including one for a specialization in poultry. Also with the Girl Scouts, she served for a week as 1 of 8 crew members on a 60-foot schooner, the Brilliant, which still sails out of Mystic Seaport today. Sandra was also active in 4-H (Head, Heart, Hands, and Health). In 4-H she took care of little chicks, entered her eggs into contests, sewed clothing, and learned meal preparation.

At Windham High school Sandra was a member of the chorus, girls sports club, and Latin club. At RHAM High school she was in the chorus and soloed several performances and also sang in St Peter's Church choir. She was a varsity cheerleader, was recognized by her classmates in 1958 as "Prettiest Girl" and "Most Likely to Succeed" and as a "Teacher's Blessing". Sandra also won the "Betty Crocker award" which at that time was a coveted award. She was also secretary of the W. C. Heisler Chapter of the National Honor Society and in 1959, Sandra was recognized as Valedictorian of the graduating class. Her love of helping others would lead her to nursing school in 1959 where she made contributions to the care of others before dedicating herself to being a mother.

MUSIC

Sandra's dedication to music is well known by all who love her. Her introduction to music began while listening to her mother Ruth's concert-level piano playing, although Sandra expressed anxiety at moving the sheet music for her at just the right moments. Sandra convinced her very reluctant and perfectionist mother, who was in her 80s at the time, to record a collection of her most beautiful piano music. Sandra turned the pages perfectly without a single ruffling sound on the recording. One of the pieces from her mother's original recording, Debussy's "Claire de Lune," was played at Michael and Rebecca's wedding. Her mother's recordings were played again for Sandra in the final stages of her life's journey, bringing her much peace and comfort.

Sandra loved to share her own musical talent with family and friends. She sang and played the piano from an early age, and later picked up the guitar. In the 1970's Sandra introduced new folk music to St. Jude Parish in Londonderry, New Hampshire. The very traditional and somewhat curmudgeonly priest who ran the program was originally unimpressed with Sandra's flare for change. She eventually won over the priest, and Sandra went on to transform the spirit of the parish in the 197O's and 80s. The services became more joyful, and even the occasional wry smile from the parish priest would visibly show during church services. Even further, the priest was so inspired by Sandra's music and boldness that he started a new tradition at the church, inviting families of the folk group to his residence after Christmas Eve mass. Throughout her life, Sandra continued to be passionate about music, picking up new musical instruments to play like the dulcimer and the didgeridoo!

ART and LANGUAGE

Sandra's passion and enthusiasm for life extended to creating a wide range of different art work including stenciling, tole paintings, elaborate coloring collages, fused glass creations, nurturing her elaborate rock gardens, and even making an incredible Superman costume by hand for her son Matthew the night before his high school senior spirit day. Sandra's creativity also included learning new languages where she took college classes in German when she was in her 60s. And those German studies allowed her to communicate with her grandchildren, in their native tongue, and to make her way around Europe on numerous trips.

SPORTS

Sandra's love of sports began as a child as she watched her father play baseball. Though she did not choose to play sports herself, Sandra enthusiastically supported her children and grandchildren in person as they excelled at basketball, field hockey, soccer, tennis, and golf. She enjoyed every moment of traveling around the United States to be present to watch them shine. After moving to the South in the mid-1980s, Sandra became a devoted fan of college football and spent many Saturdays energetically rooting for her favorite teams and reciting all her favorite players by name. She also developed an interest in playing the video game "Rock Band" as a way of staying connected to the changing world her children and grandchildren were experiencing. In this endeavor, she has been known to "whoop the butts" of many of her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews on the piano, guitar, and even the drums!

KINDNESS and COOKING and FAMILY

Sandra would strike up a conversation with any stranger, and show everyone kindness and compassion. She was always willing to sacrifice her own comfort for the comfort of others and help anyone in need. She was the harmonizer in the family, always reading the room and adjusting what she would say or do to help ease any tensions or discomforts being felt by others.

Sandra's love of family surpassed even her legendary love of ice cream and Gin and Tonics. She was happiest and always completely fulfilled when she was just hanging out with her children and grandchildren, doing anything or nothing at all; and, it was our greatest gift to be loved unconditionally by her.

Sandra used her passion for cooking to bring everyone together. She embraced the cooking traditions of her immediate family and then mixed and mashed traditions together (Ukrainian, Southern American, German, Murder Mystery dishes just to name a few) to create new traditions so all guests around the table would feel welcome.

Everyone would gather for the food, but stay to experience her sweetness, loving presence, and the purest smile you have ever seen. Her recipes are currently kept in the same recipe box she stenciled by hand years and years ago, and those recipes will continue to be enjoyed, further mixed and mashed (new gluten-free twists on the originals are now in play), and continue to bring people together for generations and generations to come.

WHISPERS and CALLS and PUSHES

Anytime we were with Mom/Grandma she did not want to leave us. She would always come back for that second hug, and then that "just one more" hug. So in her very last days here in this world, true to her soul, she defied the odds and lived longer than any of us thought possible. One of her caregivers said, during these last days for our Mom/Grandma, "when you look back, you will understand why your Mom/Grandma passed at the time that she did. It always happens that way. Trust me". In the moment we did not understand; now we do.

In those extra days, when our Mom/Grandma could no longer speak, she did not want to leave us without all of us having the proper time to process the pending life-changing and heartbreaking loss. Mom/Grandma, harmonizer and one to put her family above her own suffering till the very end, found mysterious and profound ways to make sure all her loved ones were taken care of before she left. She whispered to us, she called to us, she pushed us.

Something whispered to us to pull down the curtains so we could find a full moon framed perfectly in the kitchen window. Something called to us to jump up out of bed, at five in the morning, to find one satellite streaking across the night sky. Something pushed us into the next room to find prism lights bouncing off lamp shades, those prism lights that Mom/Grandma loved in the living rooms of our youth. All of this can be logically explained, yes. But the experience we each felt, the feeling of where these whispers, these calls, this push came from, that cannot be explained.

We hope each of you who are reading this, take a moment to embrace your loves: in education, music, art, language, sports, kindness, cooking, family - whatever brings you joy in this life. Listen to those whispers, those calls, those pushes in your own life.

CONTRIBUTIONS

For those who wish to honor Sandra's life of compassion and kindness, the family would love for you to consider donations to the Sterling Estates Employee Fund in her name, to help support the community of people who devotedly cared for Sandra around the clock, day in and day out during these last years. All of these caregivers are family, we love all of you dearly. Please consider making a check out to Sterling Estates, and put "In Honor of Sandra Czuchry" on the memo line. Mail your donation to Sterling Estates West Cobb, 3165 Dallas Hwy SW., Building 1000, Marietta GA 30064.