Sandra Jean (White) Niswonger

Sandra Jean (White) Niswonger, age 86, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio passed away peacefully at her home on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, with her son and caregiver, Walter E. Niswonger II, by her side.

She was born on November 23, 1939, in Portland, Maine to the late Earl David and Violet (Huntington) White, and attended Portland High School and Cuyahoga Community College East.

On October 5, 1957, Sandra married Walter Edward Niswonger in Angola, Indiana and together they shared many years of love and memories until his passing.

Sandra took great pride in assisting and building trusting relationships and caring for her many customers and community members throughout her career as a certified pharmacy technician. She served her neighborhood at Merit Drug starting in 1979 and then continued her dedicated service with CVS from 1994 until her retirement in 2002 after a long and rewarding career devoted to helping others. In her free time, Sandra enjoyed many years of involvement with the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, and the Cleveland Heights PTA. Her hobbies and interests included gardening, canning, baking, most notably her homemade carrot cake and cooking her famous and beloved "Thanksgiving stuffin muffins", as well as playing bingo, and jigsaw and crossword puzzles. An avid reader with an insatiable curiosity, she loved books, magazines, newspapers, and browsing the Internet. She was eager to learn about everything and was often heard saying “I need to know.” She also loved playing games of all kinds, especially Parcheesi, Cribbage, Scrabble and online Babble. She had a passion and great pride for her exceptional Scrabble skills; she was a formidable opponent whose competitive spirit made every victory hard-earned and meaningful. Creative and talented, she had a passion for crocheting. Her handmade afghans became affectionately known as “G-NanaGhans,” a meaningful name for “great-nana afghans” and play on words which perfectly reflected who she was: a wonderful mom, nana and great-nana who lovingly crocheted afghans for family and friends.

She is survived by her children, Marta G. Niswonger (Thomas Wooden), Sharla Niswonger, Andrea J. (Niswonger) Weisman, and Walter E. Niswonger II; grandchildren, Joey N. Wellman (Robert (Trip) Wellman III), Michael R. Weisman, Amanda N. Duncan (Sean M. Duncan), and Danna J. Niswonger; great-grandchildren, Samuel Wellman, Julia Wellman, Selena Niswonger, Paige Niswonger, Emery Duncan, and Griffin Duncan. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Sandra was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Edward Niswonger; parents, Earl David and Violet Huntington (Elliot) White; siblings, Roberta Corp, Dawn Degenhardt, Donald White, and David White.

The family wishes to extend as special “Thank You” to The City of Cleveland Heights EMS/Fire Department, the Cleveland Clinic Home Hospice Care Team., and Lake Erie Cremation and Funeral Services in Wickliffe.  

A private family gathering will held at a later date.

Lake Erie Cremation and Funeral Services, 29801 Lakeland Blvd, Wickliffe, Ohioassisted the family with arrangements.

www.LakeErieCrematory.com