Sandra Gail Tyson Watwood

This will also be the last time we call her Sandra, because she didn’t really like it.

Sandy Watwood opened her eyes in Heaven at 2:26 pm on Sunday, October 29, 2023. She was only 62 years old. Visitation for friends will be Wednesday, November 1, from 5-8 pm at Hanceville Funeral Home. Her Celebration of Life will be Thursday, November 2 at 11am at Hanceville Methodist Church, with our pastor and close family friend Paul Campbell officiating, and special music by Jamie Akin. She will lie in repose at the church on Thursday from 10-11 am. She loved purple flowers, purple clothes, purple anything. So in her honor, wear purple if possible.

Flowers are appreciated. You are also welcome to make a donation to the food pantry and Hanceville Methodist Church.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Mike Watwood, as well as her parents, Tommie & Ellis Tyson, sisters Peggy Cook and Patricia Roberts, and brothers Waymon and Donald Tyson.

She is survived by Ty (Elizabeth) Watwood and Kendra (Scott) Harper, granddaughters Madeline Watwood, Ameya Harper, and Meredith Watwood, sisters-in-law Susie Tyson McCormick and Judy Watwood Walters, as well as special friends Janet Davis and Amanda Roberts.

Sandy Tyson was born December 1, 1960 at Cullman Medical Center. She loved to tell people that her mother’s physician, Dr. Rowe, delivered her in his hunting clothes. Sandy grew up in Hanceville and in Garden City. She was a Hanceville Bulldog, graduating in 1979. She was a hard worker, having jobs at the old Cullman Ice House and also Americold. A month after graduation, she married Mike Watwood, a man who was a legend in our eyes. Their life goals were to get married and raise a family, and to be a good mama and a good daddy. Those goals were 100% attained in the eyes of their two children.

Four years later came the first child, Tyson Watwood. This will also be the last time we call him Tyson, because like his mom, he really doesn’t like to be called by his full name. Four years after that, Kendra came along. One boy, one girl. The family circle was complete and what glorious years they had together. They took several trips to Opryland (Why did they ever close that place, by the way?), as well as family trips to Joe Wheeler State Park almost every summer. Joe Wheeler was their special place. When she and Mike took Ty to sign up for little league baseball, Hanceville needed a coach. So, they volunteered. Fourth place the first year, third place the second year, and the third year Mike couldn’t coach due to his job. So, Sandy took over. The team placed second.

Then came September 11, 1993. On this date, Sandy had a traumatic on-the-job injury. Later came multiple major back surgeries, concerns of being able to walk again, teaching her oldest to cook from the hospital bed placed in the family dining room, and financial struggles because the two-check household suddenly dropped to one.  Sandy never worked again, but not because she didn’t want to. Despite her pain, the Lord continued to bless the family and she saw both children get married and have children.

Sandy’s husband Mike died suddenly of a stroke in 2015, and Sandy was never the same. She was lonesome, and nothing could fill that void although her family tried. The closest thing to her was her grandchildren. She spoiled them. When told her not to feed them too much candy, she’d stop by the Dollar Tree and bring a sack full of full-size Hershey bars. That was mama. She was stubborn.

Sandy may have lost her battle with pneumonia, but she is at home. Her 30 years of back pain is gone. She’s absent from the body, but present with the Lord. Allow her family a moment to ask the person reading this obituary… Do you know Jesus? If not, now is a great time to ask Him into your heart. Then your children can write your obituary with the peace of knowing you’ll be in Heaven. The only love better than a mama’s is the love you will find with Jesus. God bless you and thank you for your prayers.