Sandra Leigh Matthews

Mrs. Sandra Matthews, age 72, a resident of Culleoka, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at Alive Hospice in Nashville, Tennessee.

A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 1:00 PM at Heritage Funeral Home with Richard Murrell officiating. Entombment will follow the service at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, from 5:00 – 8:00 PM. Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Born on April 15, 1953, in Maury County, Sandra was the daughter of Preston Odell Haywood and the late Marjorie Dale Haywood. She was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, and great-grandmother remembered for her compassion, warmth, and unwavering dedication to her family and community.

Sandra pursued her lifelong passion for nursing and education. She graduated from Mount Pleasant High School, earned her Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certification from Columbia State Community College, and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Alabama. She later completed her formal education by earning a PhD in Nursing. These academic achievements and her passion for service led to her distinguished career as a healthcare practitioner and administrator, where she touched countless lives and careers through her work and mentorship. Sandra truly embodied a servant’s heart and found deep joy in helping others.

Sandra placed great value on her spiritual life. She accepted Christ as her Savior and was baptized during her teenage years. Her strong Christian faith served as a guiding force throughout her life. She was a member of Mt. Joy Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

On November 17, 1984, she married Gene Matthews in Las Vegas, Nevada. Together, they celebrated 41 years of marriage, sharing countless memories filled with love and laughter. Sandra enjoyed traveling, cruising, relaxing at the beach, shopping for great bargains, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

She is survived by her husband, Gene Matthews; her father, Preston Odell Haywood; sons, Robert Matthews, James Matthews, and Matt Matthews; sisters, Linda (Kenny) Norman, Joyce (Mike) Yearby, Gail (James) Kelley, Tammie (Steve) Cross; brothers, Jimmy (Brenda) Haywood and Roger Haywood; grandchildren, Preston Matthews, Chelsea Matthews, Mahaila Matthews, Chloe Patterson, Will Patterson; and great-granddaughter Jayla Matthews.

In addition to her mother, she was preceded in death by her grandparents, James and Sammie Haywood, and Clint and Flossie Dale, and her great-nephew, Kennon Anderson.

Pallbearers will be Brian Watson, Beau Yearby, Nick Sevigny, Will Patterson, Curtis Haywood, and Paul Kersey. Honorary pallbearers will include healthcare professionals she worked with over the years and Quality First Home Care employees.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to be made in Sandra’s honor to the Mt. Joy church at 8364 Mt. Joy Road, Mount Pleasant, TN 38474, St. Jude’s's Cancer Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105, and Alive Hospice of Nashville at 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, TN 37203.

Thank you especially to Maury Regional Medical Center, Vanderbilt Medical Center, and Alive Hospice for their empathetic and expert care.