Sandra Kaye Geib

Sandra Kaye Geib-affectionately known as "Sandie" by her family, friends, colleagues, wine sellers, cigar enthusiasts, peers at the Springboro Dorothy Lane Market, and any stranger she hoisted herself upon in conversation-assumed her new role as Heaven's Director of Glitter, Sass, and Women Empowerment on February 24, 2021. She has also graciously accepted the role as master taste-tester for the ever-popular Water-to-Wine Department. Rumor has it the role was given to her after the previous taste-tester-from Michigan-fled the scene when she heard Sandie enter the room and yell, "O-H!"

Sandie brought her party to this dreary world on September 28, 1964. Daughter of Carl and Faith Wilson and sister to Steve, Sharon, and Shawn, Sandie began her life's work as hope's hype-woman. She developed a deep faith in the God of grace and a good time with an abiding resolve to leave things-and people-more beautiful, lovely, inspiring, and sparkly than she found them.

As she grew, Sandie cultivated an unparalleled capacity to overcome the status quo, overwhelm the naysayers, and overpower the mediocrity of "that's the way it's always been." She honed her superpowers to take on-with stubbornness and ease-what she later coined "the silly things you must face if you're going to change anything."

Years later, surrounded by roller coasters and teenagers picking cotton candy from their teeth, she met her soon-to-be sidekick, Stephen Michael Geib-soon to become her "Geibie." Wasting no time, they were engaged six weeks later. Sandie became Steve's bride and best buddy in holy matrimony on April 14, 1984, and, as they say, the world was never the same.

With the velocity of a bullet train, Sandie wasted no time becoming the one noble thing she wanted to be in this world: a mother. They soon welcomed their first-born son, the human wrecking ball and pioneer of all things dangerous, Stephen, followed by the inquisitive, stubborn factfinder second born, Emily. And their family was nearly complete with the birth of their always creative, industrious, baking phenom Kaitlyn. Jessica, who was to be born between Emily and Kaitlyn, went to begin the celestial party preparations for Sandie's exuberant entrance.

The only missing thing in their family would be the not-too-soon arriving spouses-Sytease (Stephen), Ben (Emily), Jason (Kaitlyn)-and Steve and Sandie's six grandchildren-Kaiden and Hudson (Stephen and Sytease's) and Oliver, Maddie, Haley, and Gracie (Kaitlyn and Jason's), for whom she reserved the illustrious title "GiGi."

Sandie believed life was better celebrated with people, and she gave her body to that truth.

Over the years, as beloved wife to Steve and being "that mom everyone wanted to have as their mom," Sandie demolished strongholds of isolation and obliterated fortified barricades of loneliness with her weapons-grade hospitality. On Sundays after church, the Geib's home would become the unofficial third-largest city in Ohio as Sandie prepared brunch for anyone and everyone who needed somewhere else to call "home." She used her home, especially her kitchen, to engulf family, friends, and passers-by in her gravitational pull of love and belonging. To watch Sandie in a kitchen was to watch Einstein at a chalkboard: the perfect combination of elegance and sheer guesswork that changed lives and could barely be duplicated.

Vocationally, Sandie set high standards that you'd need a telescope to see clearly. Alongside Steve, founder and Executive Director of Agape for Youth, Inc., Sandie became storyteller- and fundraiser-in-chief as Director of Development and Marketing. Agape for Youth, founded in 1989, became Steve and Sandie's cannon of compassion, sending health and wholeness into a world of disparaged youth and broken families. Sandie helped Agape grow to unimaginable heights through her sophisticated brilliance in grant-writing, fundraising, marketing, and, not to mention, her motherly touch.

Sandie grew the meager seeds of Agape's fundraising efforts into the gigantic oak trees of its annual gala and other fundraisers that, over the years, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. The personification of encouragement with lipstick on, Sandie invested herself into team members and initiatives that typified Agape's commitment to serve families with excellence. Recently, Sandie was most proud of and vigorously advocated the "Bridging Hope and Futures" program, having written it and secured funding for it. Agape for Youth will continue to change countless lives because of the unconditional love she gave to Agape's team, families, and most importantly, its youth.

As she helped Agape grow, Sandie stopped at nothing to help other women flourish. Sandie was to mentoring women what Picasso was to painting: arguably the best. And the Dayton area knew it. In 2013, Sandie was named one of the "Top 25 Women to Watch" by Women in Business Networking (WiBN), becoming an ambassador in 2014. She was also co-chair for the Bridges to Success program, a member of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of Governors for the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives (NANOE), a member of the President's Club at the Ohio State University, an independent distributor for SeneGence International, and a 2012 Circle of Red Member for the American Heart Association. And she made it look good the entire time.

When at home, Sandie would replace her work clothes with a cozy sweater and sweatpants (likely with the Ohio State University's scarlet and grey) and retire to her back porch with her partner in all things, Steve, along with their furry blonde potato with paws, Blossom. There, she'd sip her favorite red wine, puff a cigar with the poise of an Italian mob boss, and solve the world's many problems.

Sandie often confounded skeptics and confused onlookers who would see all 5 foot, 2 inches of her and her accomplishments and ask, "How could such a small person live such a big life?" To which Sandie was always armed and ready to respond, reminding anyone that it's not the size of your body or your bank account that makes your life grand. It's the size of your faith-and your kitchen table-that enables you to have a full, vibrant life.

In just over fifty years, Sandie had done the impossible: raise a loving faith-filled family, grow a community-changing nonprofit, pour more wine into friends' glasses than could be counted, and host more parties than a yacht full of spring breakers-all while navigating the ebbs and flows of her own health struggles. And she did it all through a raw form of strength borne of the alchemy of her robust faith, impermeable optimism, and unquenchable love for her family, especially for her one and only "Geibie."

But one more challenge lied ahead for Sandie: cancer-multiple myeloma. And, as anyone might expect, she took it head on with the same faith-filled gusto, grace, and grit she took on anything. And we all beheld the culmination of her superpowers: kicking cancer's … butt.

And in no uncertain terms, Sandie did what she did best: she showed cancer who was boss.
Sandie fought against and cursed at cancer with the precision of a sailor, sending it back to its head honcho with a single memo: "Is this all you got?" For her, cancer was just another "silly little thing you must face if you're going to change anything."

And for three years, she battled and raged against cancer with the same sparkly stubbornness she developed years before. And she did so bravely, valiantly, and gracefully until The Boss promoted her from Director of Marketing to Director of Glitter, Sass, and Women Empowerment in Heaven.

Sandie would like you to know she doesn't leave behind her family. Rather, she has commissioned them to continue the party she began in 1964, and to carry on the work she committed to of encouraging and serving others.

Sandie firmly holds world records for most slaps of Steve's butt, most laughs around a fireplace, most smiles, best hugs, best food, most devotionals read-and has no competition in sight.

As is fitting, we leave you with Sandie's words because who could say it better than she?
"Be blessed, y'all, and remember to encourage someone today and create a ripple in this world."

We will, Sandie. We will.
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A memorial to celebrate Sandie's life will be held on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at Southbrook Christian Church in Miamisburg, OH, from 10 a.m. to noon. General COVID-19 protocols will be observed.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Ever Loved page created in Sandie's honor. Donations will go to Agape for Youth Inc. to ensure the work of embracing and empowering families with excellence continues. https://everloved.com/life-of/sandra-geib/donate/?flow=201