Sandra Christine Smits

Sandra Christine Smits passed away on November 9, 2025 at the age of 56, with her loving children and husband at her side. She battled metastatic Endometrial Cancer for the past two years, and continued to fight until the very end. She leaves behind a legacy of kindness, selflessness, humor, and most importantly to her, an example of how to be a great mother and wife.

A celebration of Sandy’s life will be held at O'Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson, WI on Saturday, November 22 at 1:00pm.

Sandy was born on December 3, 1968 in Lana i City, Hawaii to Raymond and Dorothy Untz. She spent most of her childhood in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, where she met Gregg. The high school sweethearts had their first date on November 14, 1986 and married on August 31, 1991.

On January 7, 1993, Sandy gave birth to her first son Geoffrey in Fargo, North Dakota, followed by her daughter Kailee in 1995 and her youngest son Grant in 1997, both in Lawrence, Kansas. She dedicated her life to raising her three children and providing a loving and consistent home for them and their many pets. No matter how many times they packed up and moved to new cities and states for Gregg’s career, she made sure her family knew that home is defined by the people around you and the sense of belonging they create.

Sandy became a proud grandmother on June 19, 2022 with the birth of Callen Smits to Geoff and Anna Smits. Her second grandson, Grady Smits, was born on March 17, 2025. She took great pride in watching her family grow and spread their wings across the country – with Geoff, Anna, Callen, and Grady in Cincinnati, Kailee and Sam in Dallas, and Grant and Melodie in Los Angeles. She always welcomed her children’s spouses with open and welcoming arms, making them feel immediately like they were part of the family.

Sandy loved the ocean and travelling with family to explore a variety of exotic places; from Alaska to Aruba, Bermuda to Belize, Cuba to the Caymans. She never let fear or hesitation stop her from taking part in adventures like zip-lining above the jungle, off-roading in the desert, whitewater rafting in the mountains, and snorkeling in the sea.

On behalf of Sandy, her family would like to thank all of the selfless caregivers that helped her navigate her cancer journey.

*From Minnesota Oncology: Dr. Jessica Thomes Pepin and Dr. Amy McNally and their teams in Maplewood, Woodbury and Hudson.

*From M Health Fairview: Dr. Boris Winterhoff and the staff from St. Johns and Woodwinds Hospitals.

*From HealthPartners: Dr. Loretta Pfannes and the staff from Regions, Lakeview and Hudson Hospitals.

Sandy received nothing but the utmost in professional and compassionate care from every healthcare professional she worked with over the past 2 years and truly felt blessed to be in such great hands.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the organizations that Sandy strongly supported:

* Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2T.org), which honors the sacrifice of first responders and military service members.

* Foundation for Women’s Cancer (foundationforwomenscancer.org) which is dedicated to increasing research, education and awareness of gynecologic cancers, risks, prevention, early detection and optimal treatment.