Sandra Kay (Wade) Bantley
March 1, 1941 ~ December 8, 2024
Sandra Kay (Wade) Bantley, 83, a longtime Mooresville resident, peacefully went to be with the Lord and to be reunited with her beloved husband, Jack, on December 8, 2024. Mrs. Bantley was born on March 1, 1941, or “the best day” to the late Harry and Lucille (Lowe) Wade. She married Jack Bantley on December 17, 1960, and he preceded her in death on December 3, 2021.
Sandra grew up in Drexel Gardens in Indianapolis and graduated from Ben Davis High School in 1959. The family moved to Mooresville in 1968, and early on, she was employed at the license branch before becoming the librarian at Newby Elementary School. An avid reader and a strong advocate for children, she served as the librarian at Newby for more than 40 years, retiring in 2012. She was a lifelong member of Drexel Gardens Christian Church. She and Jack made a great team, but Sandra is the one who truly created the traditions that continue today. She made every holiday special, including lavish Easter egg hunts and the best Christmases ever.
She loved crafts of all kinds and ensured that the crafts at church were exceptional every year for Vacation Bible School. She also loved baking and was a professional clown, dressing as "Pages" for many years. Her generosity was off the charts, and coupled with her double couponing, she ensured that all college age students at church were never in need. Walking into her basement was like walking into a store. Her talents continued to flourish through her green thumb(s). Sandra enjoyed gardening, growing hens and chickens, and also feeding her hummingbirds. Her memory will be forever cherished by a loving family and many friends.
In addition to Jack and her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Harry Wade, Jr.
Survivors include her daughter, Carrie (Brett) Fisher; son, Brian (Danielle) Bantley; sisters, Ruth (Mike) Vidrich and Nancy (George) Latimore; grandchildren, Casey (Cassie) Fisher, Devon (Kaitlin) Fisher, Jacquie (Shawn) Ingle, Ashtyn (Grant) Shupe, Lindsey (Blaine) Gardner and Braden Bantley; and 10 great grandchildren (and two more on the way).
Sandra’s Life Celebration® Visitation will be held Tuesday, December 10, 2024, 4 to 7 p.m., at Mt. Gilead Church, 6019 E. State Road 144, Mooresville. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m., Wednesday, December 11, 2024, in the chapel at Carlisle – Branson Funeral Service & Crematory, 39 E. High Street, Mooresville. Burial will follow in West Newton Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made by bringing new children’s books to the visitation or funeral that will be donated to the library at Newby Elementary School or by making monetary contributions to Newby Elementary School. Envelopes will be provided at services. Visit www.CarlisleBranson.com to share a favorite memory or to sign the online guest registry.
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I always looked forward to visiting Mrs. Bantley in the library at Newby. She helped cultivate a deep love of reading in me that has stuck with me all of my life. May her memory be a blessing to you all.
William & Kimberly Harmon has purchased Sympathy Garden for Sandra Kay (Wade) Bantley
Brian: I am so very sorry regarding the loss of your mom. I remember you telling me she was having a time of it but now she is with your dad in heaven. Your mom was such a wonderful person. She had the best stories! I can still remember the one about your mom being self-conscious about her ears when she was little and her attempts to correct this “problem” until she realized that they were just fine! And your mom was directly responsible for the electronic learning toys that were added to the library. She really advocated for those and I remember your mom was one of the first adults to ask for kids’ opinions and we felt that they really mattered. She would show a few of us the catalog and ask which ones sounded more fun. When I worked those years for her volunteering in the library she would let me choose a few books that looked good. That meant a lot to a little kid. She was just a incredibly nice, caring woman and my childhood was a lot better by knowing her. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time.
Take Care,
Bill