Sandra "Sandi" Kay Lovelace

Sandra "Sandi" Kay (Burns) Lovelace, 77, of Columbus, Indiana, passed away peacefully on November 6, 2025. Born on April 25, 1948, in Indianapolis, Indiana, she was the daughter of Hubert and Charlotte (Roach) Burns. Sandi was a 1966 graduate of Warren Central High School in Indianapolis. Shortly after graduation, she married the love of her life, Michael "Mike" Lovelace, on July 2, 1966, in Fort Hood, Texas. They shared 59 wonderful years of marriage filled with love, laughter, and family. She worked as an Export Specialist for Cummins, Inc., retiring in 2004 after 34 years of dedicated service. Beyond her professional life, Sandi devoted her time and heart to her community and many passions. She was a proud member of the Bartholomew County Extension Homemakers – MerriMakers Club for 60 years and a founding member of the Home & Country Garden Tyme Club for 21 years. Her creativity and skill shone through her love of sewing, quilting, and crafting, and she shared her talents as a member of the American Sewing Guild. A gifted gardener, Sandi especially loved tending to her landscaping and beautiful rose garden. She was also an enthusiastic scrapbooker, card maker, and avid reader. Friends and family cherished her handmade cards and her famous homemade peanut brittle every Christmas. She enjoyed her time at the 4-H fair every year, working in the Family Arts building, checking in exhibits. Sandi loved to travel—often planning family trips around historical sites so the family could learn and experience everything the location had to offer. For many years, you could find Sandi in a gym cheering her daughter, grandson, nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews at their many sporting events. Known for her caring nature and loyal friendship, she was the heart of her family and community. Sandi's faith was a cornerstone of her life. She served as a Girl Scout leader and Sunday School teacher for many years at First Baptist Church. Every day, Sandi would reflect in her journal, writing something she was grateful for—her "joy journal"—a true testament to her outlook on life. She is survived by her loving husband, Mike Lovelace; daughter, Heather (Dan) Goldsmith; grandson, Grant Goldsmith; brothers, Mike Burns and Dennis (Donna) Burns; brother-in-law Wayne (Lynne) Lovelace; sister-in-law Martha Whedon; 13 nieces and nephews; and several great-nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Hubert and Charlotte Burns; her mother- and father-in-law, Opal & Albert Lovelace; and her sister-in-law, Beverly Burns. Visitation will be on Monday, November 10, 2025, from 4 PM to 7PM at Jewell Rittman Funeral Home in Columbus, Indiana, with the funeral service on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at 11:00 AM at the funeral home. Burial will be at Garland Brook Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bartholomew County Extension Homemakers First Books or Scholarship Fund, causes close to Sandi's heart. Sandi will be remembered as a caring, loving, and loyal friend—and, above all, the best wife, mother, and grandmother anyone could hope for. Her warmth, creativity, and joyful spirit will be dearly missed but forever cherished by those who knew and loved her.