Sandra Ruth (Stawn) (nee Weber) Schaefer

It is with great love that we announce the passing of our mother Sandra Stawn Schaefer (nee Weber) on September 28, 2025. Sandra was a wonderful Mother to her sons Richard and David, and wife to John Stawn who passed away in 1995. She is a sister and best friend to her sister Eleanor and beloved brother-in-law to James Brega, who passed away in 2024. She is an aunt to Jimmy and Todd and had a great fondness for Jim’s partner Melissa. Sandra is a “great aunt” to Parker and attended his grade 12 graduation in June of this year. She was very close to her cousin Elvera and her daughters Karen and Tracy.

In 1999 Sandra married Dennis Schaefer, a friend from junior high school. Sandra is a stepmother to David and Jim Schaefer (who passed away in 2019) and David’s wife Katherine. Sandra was delighted to welcome her granddaughter Amber later in 1999. Sandra and Dennis were married for nearly 25 years. Sandra shared a close bond with David especially as they navigated Dennis and Sandra’s health and well-being beginning in 2018. She was very close to Katherine’s Mother Sophie who passed away in 2015 and Katherine’s sisters Betty and Jane. She enjoyed visits and phone calls with Dennis’ sister Trudy Wallis and her husband Craig. She shared a special friendship with Dennis’ niece Cathy Carter. Katherine, David and Amber took exceptional care of both Dennis and Sandra throughout their marriage and elevated that care for Sandra when Dennis passed away.

Sandra was born in Winnipeg Manitoba to David and Elsie Weber in 1938. Her “Burrows Avenue life” included her grandmother in her early years. She went to Isaac Newton and could always share their cheer. She was terrified that she would burn the house down when she had to start the fire in the furnace after school. It is evident from early photos that Sandra loved fashion and a good party. She even celebrated her 87th birthday in Victoria Hospital, complete with photos. “Back in the day” her shoes had to match her purse. Searching for the perfect handbag continued well into 2025. She had her hair done weekly and her nails were always impeccable. Sandra never liked the pictures that were taken of her, just like her mother.

Sandra married John Stawn in 1962 on the hottest day of the summer. They began their married life on Edison Avenue with other newlywed friends, including the Williams. When John passed away Sandra would not have survived without Ken and Rose. In 1969 John and Sandra moved to their bungalow, 30 Karen Street where they lived for over 30 years. Their house was in a field of mud, the first house on the street, in a new development. Sandra chose a house layout where the kitchen was at the front so that she could see what was happening on the street and had a large kitchen. The universe provided her an apartment on Whellams Lane that overlooked the front entrance and the parking lot. Sandra would have been lost anywhere else.

On Karen our parents had many neighbors who became friends. Richard and David were lucky to live in a neighborhood that grew up around them. One picture shows Sandra sweeping the wooden boards outside the house just after they moved in. Jason once told his mom that our house always looked like you could eat off the floor. That was true. When 30 Karen was hit with basement flooding Sandra and John were beside themselves.

In 1995 John passed away after a short illness. Sandra was devastated by this loss. Their married years were punctuated by many losses of family members which impacted them greatly. These included John’s sister Evelyn, Sandra’s father David Weber, their close friend Don Kapeluch, Elvera’s husband Brian, John’s Mother Polly Stawnychko, and Sandra’ s beloved Mother and her Aunt Olga. Sandra was known for her tears at every event be it joyous or sad. It was difficult for David and Richard to follow her rules for no tears during the last 4 months. Leaving us was the hardest thing she ever had to do

In 2018 Sandra was diagnosed with malignant myeloma. Her response to us was not to worry, she would be fine. She treated her chemotherapy like taking Nyquil for a cold. She received extraordinarily good care from Dr. Dow and her most beloved nurse practitioner Jayne Kasian. Jayne is an angel on earth.

In 2023 Dennis passed away. Sandra had chosen to stay living on Regatta Road and she looked after him with all the supports that could be provided. She moved to her Whellams Lane apartment in 2024 and quickly made a close friend Marge and Lori did her hair. She said her apartment was like a house to her. She had no idea that she would have a washer and dryer in her “suite”. She let Marge do her laundry at her apartment because Marge’s machines had to be replaced.

Sandra had a wide variety of interests in her life, besides taking care of her family and worrying about everyone. She played the drums as a teenager, she was a five-pin bowler, she loved shopping downtown and then at the malls and Bingo. Sandra and John loved the racetrack and casinos. They even owned a racehorse, Lord Ragner for a brief time with the Bregas and the Williams. They went to Las Vegas beginning in the 1970’s on “junkets” with Eleanor and Jim every year in February. Sandra loved our yearly family trip to the lake. She loved travel and went on excursions with Dennis to California. She became an excellent golfer at the age of 60. She visited her sons in Chilliwack and Edmonton several times a year. Sandra loved gardening, growing vegetables, and shared that passion with Dennis. Sandra loved to dance.

Sandra learned to drive at 56 and it was the most joyous day for her. She soon began driving to the CIBC data center and home at midnight as she worked the evening shift. Sandra started at CIBC at age 18 as a teller and returned to the data center part time when David and Richard were older. She retired in 1998 after over 30 years of service. Mom always called home at 9 pm at her coffee break. Sandra wanted to be a nurse, but her parents could not afford to send her to school for this training.

In her retirement Sandra developed “new” interests. This included cooking (she really didn’t love having to cook dinner every day in the past), her iPad, she googled everything, and played Words with Friends with her son and cousin. She loved word puzzles and did them to avoid memory loss. She usually watched news programs and knew everything that was going on in the world and shared her opinions frequently. She loved her house plants but often over watered them. On Whellams Lane they finally flourished because of the light in her apartment.

Sandra’s sister Eleanor told us that you really never knew what Sandra was going to do or where she was going to go. This continued throughout her life, arriving home at 85 with a bag of soil in her trunk much to the surprise of David Schaefer. Or walking to Safeway from her Whellams Lane apartment which was about 5 blocks and then taking a cab home with her groceries. David Schaefer was worried about Sandra, but we were worried and proud. Sandra had a very good sense of humor and was often trying to make others smile or laugh. She was made of steel like her mother.

Sandra loved her family. She hosted hundreds of family and holiday dinners. She loved making and eating all desserts, usually had gum in her purse and often a chocolate bar. She made amazing perogies which she learned from her mom and cooked other Ukrainian dishes from her mother-in-law. Sandra never bragged about herself or her sons' accomplishments. She was proud to tell others that she never told her sons that they couldn’t do something, even when it meant they moved to other provinces, when they couldn’t be home for important holidays, or when she missed their presence in the same city where she lived. Sandra let her children make their own decisions and her children allowed her to do the same. Really, there was no other choice.

Mom always said that she always tried to do her best. For that we are eternally grateful. She was not perfect, no one is. But she was the perfect mother for us, even when we didn’t know it. We will love and miss you forever Mom. You have filled our hearts with love and our minds with wonderful memories.

If persons so wish, donations can be made to any Manitoba or Canadian charity that supports cancer research or care; or a charity of their choice.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 11th, at 11:00 am, at Klassen Funeral Home, 1897 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg.