Sandra McCourt

Sandra (Sandy) Jo Wiggins McCourt, our beloved mom, grandma, great-grandma, wife, sister, business owner, passed away on July 1, 2025. She was a woman of faith, patriotic, and a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Sandy was born in Indiana to Donald and Helen Eslinger on January 27th. As a teenager, she moved with her family to Miami, where she graduated from high school. She then moved to California where she married Joseph Vondra, and together they welcomed two daughters: Theresa and Cynthia.
Determined to support her young family through challenging times, they traveled the Alaska Highway, landing in Fairbanks where she worked at the University of Alaska. The family relocated to Anchorage where she took on a new opportunity at ARCO. She also joined the Anchorage Curling Club where she met Larry Wiggins. After divorcing Joe, Sandy married Larry, her soulmate and future business partner.
Together, Sandy and Larry poured their energy into Wiggins Oil Tool Company, transforming it into a national enterprise. This is when Sandy truly blossomed as a business owner and was excited to travel for the company and have a partner who shared the same goals and resilience. In the early 1980s, Sandy and Larry moved with the company headquarters to Carpinteria, California, expanding operations across the United States. In 1989, they moved headquarters to Bakersfield. Sandy and Larry played a crucial role in raising their granddaughters and Sandy has always been considered their second Mom.
As devoted grandparents, Sandy and Larry began Stars Gymnastics in 1996 to support their granddaughters' careers. Sandy took great joy in her career as gym owner, and as the heart of Stars, she shaped the lives of countless children and teenagers, instilling confidence, strength, and joy that they will carry with them forever.
Following Larry's passing, Sandy met Anthony McCourt, and they married in 2017. Together, they enjoyed traveling to places such as Vietnam, Europe, Cuba, and Hawai'i. They also enjoyed hosting their families at their beach house in Morro Bay.
Sandy loved her dogs, her bridge group, gardening, all things chocolate, good Chardonnay, and her family the most. She was a fashionista and enjoyed sharing her sense of style with her "Ya Ya's". She was brilliantly witty, smart, kind, and always had a youngness in her. She will forever be remembered as a woman of extraordinary strength, unwavering love, and a light that never dimmed. Forever our Ya Ya. Forever our Guardian Angel.
Sandy is survived by her husband, Anthony McCourt; daughters Theresa [Matt], Cynthia [Jared]; granddaughters Melissa [Paul], Vanessa; grandsons Clayton, Cole; great-grandsons Barron, Royce; sister Donna Rae [Lee]; and Anthony's daughters Jennifer [Brian], Leslie [Tony] and Sherri [Curtiss]; Larry's daughter Tina, plus extended family all over the country; and her countless friends, Stars family, and her beloved poodles, Chloe and Bitty.
Please join us to Celebrate Sandy's life at Seven Oaks Country Club on July 16, 2025, 2pm to 5pm. Visitation from 5 pm to 7 pm at Greenlawn Cemetery SW.
The family would love to see all those who knew and loved her to celebrate the wonderful life she lived. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sandra McCourt, please visit our floral store.