Sandra Lee Habrych

Sandra “Sandy” Lee Habrych-Vajgert (nee Stricklin) passed peacefully at her home in Round Lake Heights into the presence of Jesus on August 24, 2025, at the age of 79 following a five-year fight against cancer.

Sandy was a beloved mother to Dennis (Becci) Englerth and Brent (Michelle) Habrych, loving grandmother to Jesse Habrych, Anastasia Habrych, and Jacob McCullough, and adored wife of Jeff Vajgert. She is preceded in death by her parents Beverly Jane Roth and Claude Emerett Stricklin, and ex-husband Richard Englerth.

Born on June 10, 1946, in Chicago, Sandy was the only child of her parents and was raised by a single mother on Eastwood Avenue in Chicago. Growing up, she enjoyed walking and playing with her dog, Mitten, as well as helping her mother with chores, always looking much younger than her actual age due to her petite stature. She thought she might want to be a waitress someday but felt her size prevented her from it. She graduated from Chicago’s Von Steuben High School (now Metropolitan Science) and moved out on her own to a tiny apartment above a store with her friend Arlene. Sandy enjoyed spending time with her friends Linda and Moe, hanging out in the basement, listening to records, and playing “beauty shop” with mixed hairstyle results.

Spending time at the “school store” which served hot dogs, burgers, and French fries for all of the teens after school, she met her first husband Richie Englerth. They married, and she became a mother for the first time to Dennis. Their marriage ended after three years, and Sandy moved to Des Plaines, meeting her second husband Dale Habrych a year later. The couple married, and then Sandy gave birth to a second son, Brent. The family moved to Wheeling, though the marriage ended fourteen years later. A devoted single mother for most of her life, Sandy focused on raising her boys right and working jobs to provide for them. Through the years Sandy provided a home for her many “critters,” which consisted of at least 14 cats and 3 dogs who became part of the family. In the early 1990s, her mother, Bev, moved in with her. Once both of her boys were out of the home, Sandy and her mom bought and redecorated a quaint home in Round Lake Heights. She loved to work in her outdoor gardens as well as tend to her multitude of houseplants. Planning for Christmas, as well as other holiday meals, was a highlight for her, enjoying such favorite traditions as Swedish pancakes, Yorkshire pudding, and sweet and sour red cabbage.The pair remained together for the remainder of Bev’s life until her passing in 2016.

Despite being an only child, Sandy grew her family relationships by keeping in touch with cousins and other relatives of her parents, her step-family, her ex-husbands (remaining on friendly terms with both of them), her daughter-in-law Michelle’s family, and numerous people she adopted along the way like neighbors, co-workers, and church members. Once you were part of Sandy’s circle, you were always family to her. She was a gracious hostess who always welcomed a few “strays” at her dinner table, especially at the holidays, which is how she first met Jeff Vajgert, who became her husband after a surprising romance on November 5, 2016. New favorite pastimes such as playing board games, going to the forest preserve, and wearing “fuzzy jammies” became part of her life. The pair remained together through Sandy’s final moments.

Over the years, Sandy worked in office settings as an administrative assistant. Her extremely organized personality shone through all of her jobs at such places as National School Services, Exxon Mobile, Agrimerica, and Leica Medical Instruments. She joined the church plant for New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights in 2009 where she was a beloved part of the church family. She used her organizational and hospitality skills to lead the Refreshing Hope refreshments ministry for a number of years, offering food to create a welcoming environment on Sunday mornings. She was baptized by her son Brent at New Hope along with her grandchildren Jesse and Anastasia on June 10, 2012.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 18, from 3-5 p.m. followed by a celebration of Sandy’s life at 5 p.m. at New Hope Christian Community, 1020 W. Rollins Road, Round Lake Heights. The service will be officiated by Pastor Gary Ricci. In remembrance of Sandy's life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the American Cancer Society.

Sandy was a proud mother and grandmother, pleased to have left behind what she called her "legacy” in the family she loved well. Her loving smile, infectious laughter, warm hugs, generous spirit, and unwavering support will be greatly missed but never forgotten by those who knew and loved her.