Sandra Marie DeMao

On Sunday July 11th, 2021, the Lord welcomed an angel into His kingdom as Sandra Marie DeMao, devoted wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother peacefully left our earth. Although our family is struck with sadness, we find comfort in knowing that her transition to heaven has ended her suffering from multiple medical conditions.

On December 4th, 1938, Sandra was born in the Brackenridge, Pennsylvania area.  On September 5, 1959, Sandra married Peter Robert DeMao.  She had three children, Randall, Lisa, and Cynthia. The family lived in various states throughout the Midwest and Southeast.  In 1989, Peter and Sandra moved to Cornelius, North Carolina, and their children soon followed over the next few years.

Sandra dedicated her life to her family, a true matriarch. She was a natural born leader, and when she talked, her family listened! She loved her family fiercely and passionately and cherished time with her children and grandchildren. Her family always came first, there isn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for her family. She was their biggest advocate.

Being a phenomenal cook, she planned every event, holiday, and celebration with a family feast. No one in the family could hold a torch to her cooking, especially her “liquid gold” gravy. Her Christmas Eve Wigilia vigil, a traditional feast, will be a family legacy.

A timeless beauty, often compared to the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, her sense of elegance and sophistication shall never be forgotten. She had a knack for decorating and interior design. Her Christmas tree village was infamous, a tradition that will carry on for years to come.

She was a self-taught and remarkable artist, creative and talented at anything she touched. One of her favorite rooms in the house was her art studio overlooking the lake. She loved to paint landscapes, oceans, birds, and animals. She also loved the beauty of nature, with flowering shrubs, flowers, and waterfalls sprawling through her beloved gardens that surround her little paradise lagoon on Lake Norman.

A devout Catholic, she loved the Lord with all her being. She prayed to God every day finding comfort in saying the rosary and talking to Him. She had a profound trust in the Holy Spirit to help her when in need.

Sandra is survived by her husband, Peter Robert DeMao; son, Randall Lee DeMao and wife Margaret; daughters, Lisa Marie DeMao and husband Jack Luper, and Cynthia Lynn Shierts and husband Lee; grand-daughters, Cassandra Marie Brooks and husband Mark, Amaria Alexandra Siedle and husband Chris, and Savannah Noelle DeMao; and great grand-daughters, Emma Grace Brooks and Annabelle Marie Brooks.

Sandra was preceded by her father John Wuycheck, mother Henrietta Wuycheck, and brother John Wuycheck.

The family will be receiving visitors on Thursday, July 15th, 2021 from 11am - 1pm with a service directly afterwards at Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home, 16901 Old Statesville Rd, Huntersville, North Carolina. Sandra will then be laid to rest at Northlake Memorial Gardens, 11001 Alexandriana Rd., Huntersville.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be mailed to Lake Norman Humane Society at 2106 Charlotte Hwy, Mooresville, NC 28117 or made online at https://www.lakenormanhumane.org/give-online.  Please make a notation with your contribution that is it being made "In memory of Sandra DeMao and her love of animals" so Sandra's family can acknowledge each donor for their kindness and generosity.