Sandy DeWalt

Service Details

Sandy’s Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025 at Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 3:30PM –5:00PM, followed by Stories and Remembrances at 5:00PM.

Memorial Suggestions

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Caledonia Conservancy in Sandy’s honor.

Sandy DeWalt (née Nicholson) was born on March 2, 1946, to Marian and Rodney Nicholson at Scott Air Force Base, IL. She passed away on February 13, 2025, at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee, WI, following two brain hemorrhages suffered 13 days earlier.

Sandy’s life was shaped, in part, by events that happened when she was just 18 months old.  Her father, Lt. Rodney Nicholson, was a career Army Air Corps test pilot. In 1947, his plane experienced engine trouble over Kitakyushu, Japan. Ordered to eject, he saw that the plane would crash into a school. Instead, he chose to guide it into a nearby field, sacrificing his life to save others. Master Maeda, the school principal who witnessed the event, was deeply moved and erected a series of monuments in Lt. Nicholson’s honor. Over the years, Sandy traveled to Japan three times to pay tribute to her father and Master Maeda’s courage in preserving his memory. She shared the story of her father’s heroism with students through annual school presentations. A highlight of her life came in August 2023 when she returned to Japan with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Sandy spent her early years in Shullsburg, WI, living with her paternal grandparents. In 1952, her mother married Jack Smythe, and they moved to Wausau, WI. It was there, in first grade, that Sandy met her lifelong friend, Cathy Mauer, with whom she walked to John Marshall Grade School each day. She often said she found her voice while working as a lifeguard at the local pool and her love of horses during those years. She graduated from Wausau Senior High (now Wausau East) in 1964.

Sandy attended Carroll University for two years before transferring to UW-Milwaukee, where she and Cathy reunited as roommates. In 1968, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education.

One fateful evening in 1967, while (not surprisingly) looking for someone to talk to in her mostly vacant apartment building during Thanksgiving break, Sandy knocked on every door. The last door she tried belonged to Bill DeWalt. They spent the evening talking, and on December 20, 1969, they were married in Madison, WI. Together, they built a life and raised two children, Jack and Terri.

Sandy dedicated her career to education, beginning as a special education teacher before earning a Master’s degree in Counseling. She went on to make a lasting impact as a middle school counselor at McKinley Middle School, touching the lives of countless students throughout her 37-year career. She retired from the Racine Unified School District in 2006.

Beyond her professional life, Sandy was a passionate advocate for land conservation. She volunteered for more than 20 years with the Caledonia Conservancy, working tirelessly to protect local lands and rid the earth of garlic mustard. She led the School to Nature program, which introduced Racine youth to the beauty of the outdoors and instilled in them the importance of environmental stewardship.

Her love for people and nature was matched only by her love for horses. She spent much of her life by their side, a passion she passed on to her daughter and family friend, Julie Sittig. Some of her happiest days were spent riding the Caledonia trail system on her beloved mare, Domino, and later cherishing time with her mare, Hope.

Together, Sandy and Bill explored the world, embarking on adventures that included France, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. Their favorite destinations were in Micronesia, where Bill enjoyed scuba diving in Truk Lagoon and Palau. Along the way, they created cherished memories and formed lasting friendships, sharing their stories and experiences with everyone they met.

Sandy was a force of nature with a larger-than-life personality. Her trademark “woo woo woo!” and infectious laugh brightened any room. She had an incredible ability to connect with people, filling the lives of those around her with joy. She could (and would) talk to anyone she encountered with a non-judgmental and warm presence that made all she met feel accepted and loved. As her grandson, Luke, put it, “A stranger is only a friend my Grandma Sandy hasn’t met yet.”

Sandy is survived by her loving husband, Bill; her son, Jack (Larina) DeWalt; her daughter, Terri (Matt Drymalski); and her grandchildren, Cole, Keya, Greyson, Alec, and Luke. She also leaves behind countless cherished family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her fathers, Rodney Nicholson and Jack Smythe; her mother, Marian Smythe-Baxter; her stepfather, Frank Baxter; and her cousin, Fran Odden.