Sandy Chang passed away peacefully, surrounded by her beloved family. Her life was a radiant blend of resilience, warmth, and devotion. She was a woman whose hands built, taught, nurtured, and held together generations.

Born and raised in Suzhou, China, Sandy was the eldest of three siblings, known not only for her striking beauty, especially her famously flawless, fair skin, but also for her remarkable talent with words. She was always an excellent writer, so skilled was she that her younger siblings often “borrowed” from her work to get through school.

After immigrating to the United States, Sandy made a home in Morton Grove, Illinois, where she married her husband, George, and together they raised two beloved children, Steven and Lucy. She poured her heart into building a warm, welcoming home.

She found a second home in Champaign, Illinois, where she could embraced a slower pace of life with walks on the University of Illinois campus and raising chickens, continuing to nurture life with the same love and care that defined her spirit.

Sandy was a multi-talented woman who wore many hats in her lifetime, a mechanical engineer, a mortgage broker, a Chinese language teacher, a devoted mother, and a loving wife. But beyond titles, she was a force of nature whose greatest passion was her family. Her kitchen was the heart of the home, a place where food became love, and everyone was welcome. Her garden bloomed under her care, and her songs often floated through the house, infusing joy into everyday moments.

She is survived by her husband, George, her son Steven, her daughter Lucy, her brother John, her sister Xin and her nephew Richard, each of whom carry forward her legacy of strength, care, and compassion.

Sandy will be remembered not only for the roles she played, but for the kind of person she was: strong, beautiful, giving, and endlessly devoted. She was the best mother, an incredible friend, and a woman who made the lives around her better in quiet, powerful ways.

In her honor, the family asks that donations be made to an organization dedicated to Leiomyosarcoma Support and Direct Research Foundation. Your contribution will help others fighting this disease and continue Sandy’s legacy of love and care.

She will be missed beyond words, but her love continues in the lives she shaped.

Our mission is to empower patients with information and support, fund groundbreaking LMS research and provide a bridge between patients and researchers, to collaborate on finding a cure.