Lindsay T. Sandbothe

Highland, Indiana formerly from Homewood, Illinois

If it were up to Lindsay, you would be reading this on a park bench in a beautiful garden surrounded by birds. As I write this, I am going to imagine that I am on that park bench, with her sitting beside me, watching the birds while we are both wrapped up in 43 years of beautiful memories.

Lindsay T. Sandbothe suddenly passed away on September 16th, joining our mother, Sherri Sandbothe, in paradise. The void left by her passing is vast and the pain in all our hearts is overwhelming. However, knowing my sister the way I do, she would not want any of us to hang on to the sadness, but to celebrate the happiness that was her life. She loved hard, deeply, and completely. Her family was her strength, and she cherished them and cared for them with her whole being. Family time was extremely important to her, and she would herd us all together for long family dinners, game nights, and excursions. She just nudged me on our bench and told me that she will still be herding us! I see a family trip to the pumpkin patch, Hawaiian adventures, and a special cousin trip to EPCOT in our future. She would want us to continue to have that family time, and I believe that she will be tagging along on our adventures.

Her friends were not just her friends; they were her extended family. Over the last week, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, memories, and compassion that her friends have shown our family. She loved all of you so much and would often share your stories and adventures with me. Please know that your kindness has helped our family get through this dark time and your stories have brought us light and happiness. She just nudged me again and said I now have many adopted sisters and brothers!

As Lindsay and I sit and watch the birds from our bench, I would like to share Lindsay’s story with you. Lindsay was born on May 31st, 1983, in Hazel Crest, Illinois, to John and Sherri Sandbothe. She was a beautiful baby with the most sparkling blue eyes and a smile that would light up a room. Academically, she was unstoppable, graduating from Homewood-Flossmoor High School with more ribbons than a decorated war veteran and was a Bronze Tablet Scholar at the University of Illinois, receiving the university’s highest achievement. Simultaneously, she obtained two bachelor’s degrees from the U of I, one in Art History and one in Art Education. She just nudged me again and said, “Move on, Sis!” She remains the humblest individual I have ever known, despite her many, many accolades in academics and in her world of art. Lindsay would say her first “real” job was at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. She adored that job and truly felt at home there. 

She loved helping students find careers in the art field, and she was blessed with an incredible work family that she held dear to her heart. Although extremely hard for her, she left the Academy for a new position at Smithbucklin, where she was thriving, growing, and I was so proud of the new strength and zest for life that she found in her new career. It was comforting to hear how much she was admired by her peers and that she was building new and lasting friendships.

But Lindsay’s biggest passion in life, next to her family and friends, was her art. Her talent was incredible, and her eye for beauty and serenity is forever captured in her work. I see a piece of her spirit in every single one of her paintings, a small reflection of who she was immortalized for all time. She really hasn’t left us, for she lives on in her art. She just said quietly to me on the bench, “Remember me in the colors, the gentleness of the animals, and notice that I gave each one of them a smile and happy eyes.”

Lindsay is survived by her father John Sandbothe; godfather and uncle Ron/Butch Freitag; sister Lisa Roetzer and bonus brother Jim Roetzer; brother Chris Sandbothe and bonus sister Katie Sandbothe; nephews Nate, Zack, Tim, Christopher, and Jack; nieces Irene, Katie, and Ava; great-niece Ali; and great-nephews Mason and Baby Peanut (oh how she looked forward to meeting him). She is also survived by aunts, uncles, many cousins, friends too numerous to count, adopted nieces, great-nieces and nephews, and all the furry family members…all of whom she loved dearly. She was welcomed home by our mother Sherri Sandbothe, godmother and aunt Bernice Freitag, aunt Susie Freitag, sweet nephew Jonathon, aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas, and all the doggies and kitties she knew she would see someday.

As I wrote this, in my mind I truly did sit on that bench with her watching the birds, sharing memories, and wishing beyond all wishes that we had more time. Lindsay led me to a quote the other day from The Last Unicorn written by Peter S. Beagle, “I will endure a lifetime of missing you for the privilege of loving you.” Until we meet again, dear Sis……

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, October 17th, at Tews-Ryan Funeral Home in Homewood, Illinois, from 3:00–5:00 p.m., with a small memorial service beginning at 5:00 p.m. For additional information, please contact Tews-Ryan Funeral Home by phone at 708-798-5300 or online at info@tews-ryanfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Morton Arboretum. This was her favorite place, where she spent a lot of time with family and friends and was very involved with the Nature Artists’ Guild. https://mortonarb.org/join-support/make-a-gift/tribute-gifts/