Sandra K. Hack

Sandra Kay (Dempster) Hack, 72, of Lanesville, Indiana, passed away unexpectedly at home on November 25, 2025.
She was born in New Albany, IN, on October 15, 1953, to Eugene and Garnet Dempster. Sandi attended Floyd Central High School ('71) before getting her nursing degree at Indiana University Southeast and working as a registered nurse for more than 30 years at Methodist Evangelical Hospital (Norton).
Sandi loved her family, her friends, her garden of ferns and flowers, creatures big and small (but especially small), traveling, a good book or a bittersweet song, and spending time in nature. Her time on Earth was a testament to the things she loved most, and she often shared those loves with those around her.
Sandi's childhood was full of adventure, and she spent hours with her older sister riding bareback up and down the hills that surrounded her family's home on Quarry Road. Taffy, a bit of a trickster, liked to try to knock Sandi off her back by rubbing up against a tree or trotting under a low-hanging branch when Taffy decided it was time to go back to the barn. Dusty, a small pony that pulled Sandi and her siblings in a smart little surrey festooned with ribbons in the Pekin 4th of July parade, helped win them two gold trophies for their efforts.
When Sandi met Alan at Floyd Central in the late 1960s, she said later that she knew, even then, that he was "marriage material." An awkward first double date didn't dissuade her, and almost sixty years later, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in February 2025. They enjoyed all kinds of adventures together, from hiking in the Smokies (sometimes while Sandi was pregnant) and camping on the banks of Rough River Lake with family and friends, to cross-country trips to visit National Parks and international travel to Italy and Peru.
When she and Alan started their family in the 1980s, she always encouraged her children Lindsay, Nathan, and Lauren to make music, to read, to write, to cook, and most importantly – to always keep learning.
Like her mother, she enjoyed knowing the names of flowers, plants, birds, and trees, and she shared that knowledge with her children, pointing out ironweed or Joe Pye from the car window as she took them to soccer practice or piano lessons.
Like her father, Sandi loved music, and it was not unusual for a beautiful song to bring her to tears. She taught her children from a young age to intuitively listen for rhythm and pitch, gently saying, "Listen" while singing a note back if they weren't quite right. She relished any opportunity when they could all join together in song, Sandi always singing in a clear, high soprano. As her children got older, evenings around the kitchen table were spent belting out everything from The Mamas & The Papas to Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Gillian Welch, and The Beatles – each of them trying to find the right harmonies without duplicating parts.
Sandi was caring, kind, and generous with empathy for everyone, and she aimed to be fair and equal in all things. She was a wonderful listener who was truly interested in the lives and well-being of her loved ones. She liked to hear about her children's music, books, friends, boyfriends, and girlfriends, caring about their changing worldviews and their familial hurts. She uncannily seemed to know what you were thinking, even when you were trying to hide it. She courageously learned alongside her children how to talk about the inevitable pains that come up in relationships.
She had an awe for the natural world, crowing with delight at the birds, deer, turkeys, and occasional fox that passed through the backyard. On walks in nature with her family, she was often found crouched down, taking photos of spring ephemerals or interesting rocks. She tucked frog figurines into her kitchen drawers.
When her children left for their respective homes after holidays and weekend trips, she overstuffed bags and boxes of food for them to eat. No matter the circumstance, she thought about what food her family needed. She determinedly nursed her children and husband back to health, even when they resisted.
She often talked her husband into a kinder decision, rather than the more practical one; she urged her husband to buy the sports car he had always wanted when he turned 70, even though it scared her to drive fast. She loved the cat pictures and videos she received from her daughters, watching the ones that made her laugh again and again; she loved listening to her son play the piano on his regular visits from Chicago.
She will be forever missed by her family as well as many others who knew her.
Sandi was preceded in death by her father Eugene and mother Garnet. She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Alan; three children, Lindsay, Nathan, and Lauren; and her siblings Deby (John) Hall, Danny (Denise) Dempster, and Melissa (Tony) Linton.
Visitation will be held at Naville & Seabrook Funeral Home (1119 E. Market St.) on Wednesday, December 3, from noon – 7 PM, and Thursday, December 4, from 10 – 11 AM, with the Celebration of Life service at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to a national, state, or local park, or other charity of your choice.