Sandra "Sandy" Wisener

A proud graduate of Northside High School in Fort Smith, Arkansas (Class of 1961), Sandy went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Arkansas. She continued her studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), became a Cardiovascular Clinical Specialist, and pursued doctoral studies in Administration and Consultation.

Sandy lived a life of remarkable service and adventure. In the early 1970s, she served as Head of Nursing aboard the hospital ship Project HOPE in Brazil. She was later commissioned into the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and confirmed as a Captain by the U.S. Senate during the 101st Congress. Her military and mission work took her to Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Guinea-Bissau, where she cared for patients in hospitals, remote villages, and leper colonies—often working directly with national leaders.

In the 1980s, Sandy became Chief Nursing Officer at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was a passionate advocate for patient care and professional nursing practice, known for her charisma, compassion, and strength of conviction. Her contributions were so profound that the hospital honored her legacy each year with “Sandy Wisener Day.”

Later in that decade, Sandy joined Ernst & Young, where she became one of the firm’s first female partners and helped launch their Health Care Consulting Practice. She built a nationally respected team, developed strategic protocols, and worked with hospital executives and boards across the country.

In 1996, Sandy was introduced to Mercy Jeyaraja Rao and her family. She lived with them in India while continuing her work for Ernst & Young. Sandy was a companion and dear friend to Mercy during her journey into ministry and later supported Mercy’s school and mission efforts.

Upon returning to Knoxville, Sandy became an active member of First Baptist Church Knoxville, where she served as a deacon and Chair of Finance and taught Sunday School. She established both a prayer room and a children's playground in honor of her beloved mentor, Mary Hutson. She also helped coordinate the church’s and Red Cross’s efforts to house victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Sandy was preceded in death by her parents, Ruth Mitchell Wisener and R.C. Wisener, and her brother, Gary Wisener. She is survived by her nephew, Greg Wisener (Pam), her niece, Allison Owens (Phil), and her great-nephew, Gage Haugland (Madison), along with their son, Hudson and by her dear friend and missionary partner Mercy Jeyarajo Rao. She also leaves behind countless friends, colleagues, and a church family whose lives she touched deeply and permanently.

Sandy was a formidable woman—brilliant, bold, compassionate, and utterly devoted to everything she pursued. But what she loved most was the Lord. We celebrate her extraordinary life and the fact that she is now in the presence of Jesus.

A service to celebrate Sandy’s life will be held at First Baptist Church Knoxville on Friday, July 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

www.drivinghopetn.org

or

First Baptist Church Knoxville – Playground Fund