Sandi Crist Lewis

She was the daughter of Randolph Perrow Crist and Margaurite Brandt Crist. She was preceded in death by her son Craig Alan Hach,; sister, Anita Crist Dezendorf; her husband, George Bernard Hach Jr.; second husband, Roger Dale Lewis; nephew Stephen Douglas Lohmann. She has left behind one proud daughter (Karen Hach) to carry on her legacy. Other survivors included nephew Bill Lohmann (Robin), niece Charlotte Lohmann Needham (Jack) and special niece Anne Lohmann Palmen (Mark).

Sandi (with an i) never met a stranger, always had a story to tell and a kind gesture for many. Since her daughter is writing this obituary, allow her to take you on a journey of Sandi’s life. She was born in 1945 in Lynchburg, Va. In 1950, she moved to Japan, as she and her mother traveled there to meet up with her father, a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. Their ship was heading across the Pacific when the Korean War broke out, but they kept going anyway, and I have many stories of her time in Japan. Then back to the states where she lived in Tucson and Chicago before returning to Lynchburg, where they settled and she attended Brookville High School. She met my father, George “Buddy” Hach, and they married in 1964. She owned a ‘57 Chevy which she absolutely loved and drag-raced – or so I was told – but she had to sell the car because her husband worked at a Ford dealership.

Karen arrived, then Craig. She spent the first few years raising us until I imagine she got bored and started working as a check-writer for a tobacco sale warehouse. She loved all animals and through the years had many pets -- birds, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, fish -- but she absolutely loved Scottish Terriers. She learned from the ground up how to raise and show Scotties, and had the children in tow at many dog shows. Later, she learned to do graphic art in the 1980s, and started her own business, Graphic Connections, and taught classes at local colleges. We all shared a love for music, the Eagles, being one of her favorites. We also shared a love of horror movies and crime shows such as “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Criminal Minds.” In later years she worked at Mail America, and she started showing Scottish Folds, a distinctive breed of domestic cat. Her favorite was Marm: GC,BW,NW Amber Snow Marmite of Foldom. She took him to shows all over the United States, and Marm was The Cat Fanciers’ Association 2017-18 2nd Best Cat (overall) , Best Scottish fold Shorthair nationally and Best Cat in the Southern Region.

Sandi always took notice of life’s little details -– mistletoe in trees, particularly lovely flowers and plants – and deeply cared for others, a trait that has prompted many people to share stories of her kindness.

A graveside service celebrating Sandi's life will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Virginia Memorial Park, 11490 Forest Rd, Forest, VA 24551.