Sandra Jean Ribich

Sandra Jean Ribich, formerly Kosmach, and known most often as Sandy, was born March 17, 1950 to the late Bill and Joan Kosmach of Lombard. She died June 12, 2024. She is survived by her spouse Ray, daughter Alanna (Sandra Kapauan) Ribauan, her sisters Diane (Mike) Schumacher, Annette (Dave) Michaelsen, and Joni (Connie Boulos) Kosmach, as well as countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends.
Growing up in Lombard, Sandy aspired to be a teacher from a young age. She attended St. Francis High School in Wheaton where she made lifelong friends. After attending Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, she began her 42 year long career at St. Stephen's School in Chicago, a center of Slovenian American culture in the Chicago region. There, she met a colleague who generously offered his assistance with the spirit duplicator machine. That colleague, Ray, would go on to be her partner of nearly 51 years.
Two years later, she took a job at her alma mater, St. Pius X in Lombard, where she taught for over two decades before taking a job at Timber Ridge Middle School in Plainfield. Throughout her teaching career, she worked on integrated curriculum, an approach where all of a student's subjects focus on one topic, such as the Civil War or planning a mission to Mars. Her great love of reading, extensive cultural knowledge, and superb creativity were directed not just at instructing students, but inspiring them to become lifelong learners.
Even after she retired, she read voraciously and shared her knowledge freely. She was a skilled baker, always sharing sweet treats and tutoring younger folks in the kitchen. Her potica, a traditional Slovenian dessert, was enjoyed at nearly every holiday and family party.
She had boundless love and commitment for her family, never missing an opportunity to spend time with those she loved. She traveled often with her sisters, taking trips to places across the country, and occasionally internationally.
Her unfailing standard of fairness, unmatched empathy, and unwavering support made her the person many sought in times of difficulty, which she helped navigate with her masterful wit, positivity, and love. She opened her home and heart to all, making those who were struggling feel safe and comfortable being themselves.
She will always be loved and truly missed.
Memorial Gathering Sunday, June 23, 2024 3:00 PM, until time of service at 7:00 PM, at Knollcrest Funeral Home, 1500 S. Meyers Road Lombard, Illinois. Interment private.
Please consider a donation to the Scleroderma Research Foundation (srfcure.org). Sandy and her sisters have been raising money for scleroderma research in memory of their mother, Joan Kosmach, since 1995.