Sandra K. “Sandy” Gerlach, 67, of Baroda, passed away, Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at her home.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held 11:30 A.M. Wednesday at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, with Rev. Tom Spitters officiating. Burial will follow at Ruggles Cemetery in Baroda. Friends may visit with the family from 4:00 until 8:00 P.M. Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorial donations in Sandy’s name may be made to The Humane Society of Southwest Michigan. Those wishing to sign Sandy’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com
Sandy was born November 11, 1952 in St. Joseph to James & Dorothy (Swink) Thompson. She graduated from Lakeshore High School, Class of 1971. On March 1, 1991, she married Bruce Gerlach in St. Joseph. Sandy was employed as a server most of her life. She began at age 14, at The Hong Fong Restaurant in Benton Harbor, working along-side her Mother. She worked for many years at the former Homestead Restaurant and most recently for thirteen years at Cracker Barrel in Stevensville. In her free time, Sandy enjoyed crossword puzzles, baking pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving and cookies for Christmas, doing crafts, refinishing furniture, tending to her house and yard, and watching HGTV to learn new techniques. The Gerlach home was always busy as Sandy was the neighborhood mother to all her children’s friends. She enjoyed decorating for the holidays, especially Christmas, the annual July 3rd party for Baroda fireworks and Kristin’s birthday and the trick or treaters that visited on Halloween. She will be missed by the many who knew and loved her.
Sandy is survived by her husband of twenty-eight years, Bruce; the father of her children-Royman C. Carlock of San Antonio, TX; three daughters-Roxie (Craig) Santanna of New Braunfels, TX, Rhonda Carlock of San Antonio, TX, Kristin (Joe) Rodriguez of Baroda; her adopted daughter Heather Harrison of St. Joseph; six grandchildren-Ashley Santanna, Jevon Carlock, Da’Mon Davis II, Alexis Santanna, Devin & Damion Santanna; three great-grandchildren-Presley Santanna, Ellie Hanna, & Adonis Hunter; her sister Patricia Thompson of Long Beach, CA; two brothers-James (Myra) Thompson, Jr. of Stevensville & William Thompson of Buchanan; numerous nieces & nephews; her feline companion Spooky; and friends too numerous to mention. She was preceded in death by her son Royman A. L. Carlock on Nov. 18, 2011, her parents, her brother Danny Thompson, and her sister Susan Tole.