Buresh, Sandra Jane 'Sandy'

Sandra Jane “Sandy” Buresh, 57, died at home Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, of pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. Sandy was born Oct. 14, 1954, in Cedar Rapids and grew up in Swisher and Anamosa before moving to Cedar Rapids with her parents in 1991. She was born with a ventricular septal defect (“a hole in her heart”) and underwent open heart surgery at age 5, when the procedure carried a high risk of mortality. She survived this as well as a second heart surgery five years later, and persevered through many other health problems, including a paralyzed palate which affected her speech and, later, a cornea transplant.

Despite her many health challenges, Sandy led a full and interesting life. Thanks to the compassionate and patient care of her parents, she traveled all over the United States and the world, including Eastern and Western Europe, Scandinavia, New Zealand, and Australia and took a number of cruises.

She knew many interesting people and loved talking with and sharing stories of her visits with University of Iowa football and basketball coaches and presidents (Hayden Fry, Kirk Ferentz, Lute Olson, Tom Davis, Willard Boyd, David Skorton, Mary Sue Coleman, Sally Mason), all of whom treated her warmly and graciously. She enjoyed her visits with Howard and Margaret Hall in the Florida Keys and liked having Governor Robert Ray and his wife, Billie, in the press box seats with her at Iowa home games. She even got to meet and have her picture taken with Barbara Bush at home in Anamosa.

She loved meeting people and talking to them, and they enjoyed listening and talking to her. She kept in touch with many old friends and family with cards, notes, letters and emails.

Sandy loved animals, especially the many cats she had over the years and her Shih Tzu Mattie, who was always by her side. She enjoyed going to the Amanas for Sunday dinners, having coffee with her Anamosa friends on Wednesdays, her Red Hat outings, and she always looked forward to Thursdays with her good friend Janelle Parks.

She spent a lot of time on the computer, playing games, researching, and emailing.

Sandy tolerated her health problems with little complaint, and her life with her parents, in her father's words, “kept them young.” While her health caused her to miss many things often taken for granted by others, she put as much into her days as she could.

Sandy is survived by her parents, Ernest and Joanne Buresh; her sister, Wendy (Alan Robb); niece and nephew, Kate and TJ Robb; aunts, Jane (Warren) Sonneman, Joan (Billy) Ratliff and Doris Buresh; cousins, Linda (Gene) Brouillette, Cindy Prewitt, Barb (Alan) Clark, Janice (Mike Wagner) Sonneman, Jody Sonneman and Steve (Anne) Sonneman; second cousins, Dean (Gerri) Buresh and Mary Ann (Bill) Nichel; and many lifelong friends.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Joe and Emma Buresh and George and Erma Paulsen; and an uncle, Lester Buresh.

A funeral service celebrating Sandy's life will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27, at First Presbyterian Church, Cedar Rapids, with the Rev. Ted Miller officiating. Entombment will be in Cedar Memorial Park Mausoleum. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home.

Memorials may be directed to UI Foundation for Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244-4550, or to Camp Courageous.

Online condolences may be left at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.

Published Feb. 25, 2012 in The Gazette