Sandra "Sandi" (Moon) Birdwell

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." — Revelation 21:4

Sandra Moon Birdwell, known and loved by all as Sandi, went home to be with her Father, Jesus Christ, on August 3, 2026, at the age of 82, after a courageous eight-year battle with dementia. While her family grieves her passing, they find deep comfort knowing she is now whole, at peace, and reunited with those who went before her.

Sandi was born on February 7, 1944, in Birmingham, Alabama (Tarrant City), to Noel Howard Moon, Sr. and Wilma Lorraine Moon (Webster). She spent her childhood between Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Huntsville, Alabama, graduating from Huntsville High School in 1962 before heading to Auburn University, where she graduated in June 1966 — the beginning of a lifelong love affair with all things Auburn. She married Venson Ernest “Buddy” Birdwell, Jr., and together they welcomed a son.

After graduating from Auburn, Sandi became an elementary school teacher, and in doing so, found her true calling. For 40 remarkable years, she taught third grade at Southminster Day School in Vestavia Hills, retiring in 2016. To call it a job would miss the point entirely — Southminster was her family. Her fellow teachers became lifelong friends, and her students, generations of them, became hers to love. She was known for her sparkle, her infectious laugh, her hugs that could fix almost anything, and a stash of red pens that surely numbered in the thousands by the time she retired. She was tough when a lesson called for it and endlessly warm always. Decades later, former students still light up at the mention of her name, and many say she remains the favorite teacher they ever had.

Sandi’s love for Auburn never dimmed. Some of her happiest days were spent tailgating with her dearest friends in the RVs by the ROTC tower, cheering on the Tigers with the same enthusiasm and warmth she brought to everything else. She was a gracious hostess who loved to entertain, and a devoted friend who showed up for the people she loved, again and again, for decades.

But nothing lit Sandi up quite like her family. She adored her son, Brad, and beamed with pride watching him grow into the man she always prayed he would become. She loved her daughter-in-law, Weldon, as if she were her very own and treasured every moment with her grandson, Cooper, from the day he was born.

Sandi was preceded in death by her parents, Noel Howard Moon, Sr. and Wilma Lorraine Moon; and her brother, Noel Howard Moon, Jr.

She is survived by her son, Bradford Alan Birdwell (Brad), and his wife, Weldon Moore Birdwell, of Hoover, Alabama; her beloved grandson, Cooper Stowers Birdwell; and her sister-in-law, Linda Moon, along with her niece and nephews, Robin Mattson, Noel H. Moon, III, and James Christopher Moon, and uncle Tommy (Sarah) Webster of Fayetteville, GA. She also leaves behind her Southminster family — the teachers, students, and parents whose lives she touched for four decades — and a wide circle of cherished friends who loved her dearly and will carry her memory forward.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama — fittingly, the very place where she spent 40 years pouring her heart into her students. A reception will follow immediately in the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in her honor be made to the Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama to support people living with all forms of dementia and the families caring for them (www.alz.org).

Sandi Birdwell invested her whole heart into everyone she met — her family, her students, her friends — and the return on that investment is the love pouring in from all corners of her life today. She would want everyone to know: she is home, she is whole, and she is, without question, bragging to all the angels about her family.