Sandee Hackbirth, 71, of Lampasas, died Nov. 9, 2023. She was born on Jan. 1, 1952, in Gloversville, New York to the late Herbert Gay and Norma J Raymond Gay.
Sandee, the sassy queen of entrepreneurship, could whip up a storm in the kitchen or behind the wheel of her trucking company. In her early years, she taught dance moves that could make anyone’s heart skip a beat.
Sandee served her country in the Army from 1984 to 1996. When she wasn’t conquering the world, Sandee found solace in her creative pursuits. She could spin whimsical poems to make the heart sing. Pencil in hand, she would sketch her dreams onto paper, creating art that embodied her vibrant soul. And she had a love for Golden Oldies music and food shows like “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” When it came to watching “Andy Griffith” and “Gunsmoke,” she was always locked and loaded.
Sandee is survived by her children Michelle Roemer (Kris Roemer), Danny Jay Smith Jr. (Deborah Smith) and Aaron Devin Smith (Sara Smith); stepchildren James Nabinger Jr. and Tammy Nabinger (Vogel); granddaughters Brandi Lamb, Deborah Hallett, Isabella Roemer, Gwendolyn Smith, Taylyn Smith and Samantha Hoff, and grandsons Jesse James Thompson, Kyler Smith and Damien Roemer; greatgranddaughter Aeris Hallett-Shotwell and great-grandson Zachary Hoff-Jackson.
She was preceded in death by her parents; stepfather, Chester Jones; brother, Michael Gay; and children Jesse James Nabinger and Melissa Lynne Thompson. Sandee shared lasting memories with her sister, Merry L Gay Moyer; brothers Lawrence B Gay and Thomas H Gay; stepbrothers James L Jones and John C Jones, and stepsisters Joan V Jones Delehanty and Jean I Jones Allen.
Memorials can be made to Lampasas Mission or the American Cancer Society. Heritage Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.
