Jean Ross Sandish, 80, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2014 surrounded by her family, at the Hospice of Northwest Ohio in Perrysburg.She was born Thelma Jean Ross on April 27, 1934, the fourth of 11 children, to Victor and Minnie (Bryant) Ross of Camden-Wyoming, DE. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Sharon, andher brother, Vic.
Jean earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Delaware, while working summers at the State Restaurant in Dover. There she met Air Force Lt. Ronald F. Sandish. They were married in 1955, and later moved to his home in Parma, Ohio. After raising her family of five children, Jean attended Cleveland State University and became a special education teacher with Brunswick City Schools. In 1984, Jean and Ron relocated to the Toledo area, where she taught as a special education and substitute teacher in the Oregon City Schools for the next 26 years.
Jean loved traveling (including cruises to the Caribbean, Mediterranean,Alaska, Hawaii, and Scandinavia), bike riding, kickball,watching tennis, and Broadway musicals. She played the piano and the trombone, and was a proud member of her collegiate marching band. Her hobbies included pinochle, crocheting, cake decorating, and card making. Jean was also a long-time volunteer at the Maumee Bay State Park Nature Center, specializing in monarch butterflies. She was active in the Toledo Lighthouse Society and the Sprinkling Cans garden club. Above all, Jean loved her children and grandchildren, and never missed a birthday or occasion to celebrate.Holidays always brought out a special character in our mom!
Jean will be forever remembered by Ron, her husband of 59 years; her children: SteveSandish of Northfield, Karen (Wayne) Hinkle of Marengo, Jennifer (Don) Mayer of Chardon, Susan (Paul) Rossman of North Royalton, Tom (Lori) Sandish of Eagan, MN; ten grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren.
Friends may call at the Freck Funeral Chapel, 1155 S. Wynn Rd., Oregon, Ohio 43616 on Friday, May 2, 2014 from 4-8 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Ignatius Catholic Church on Saturday at 10 a.m. where the family will greet friends one hour prior to the Mass. Burial will follow at St. Ignatius Cemetery.