| Date of Birth | January 4, 1943 |
| Passed Away | April 29, 2026 |
| Place of Residence | Hornell |
| Home State | NY |
| Service Date | May 6, 2026 |
| Service Time | 11 a.m. |
| Service Location | First Baptist Church, Hornell |
| Interment Location | Rural Cemetery, Hornell |
Sandra L. “Sandy” Brown
HORNELL – Sandra L. “Sandy” Brown, 83, entered peacefully into rest Wednesday morning (April 29, 2026) at her home on Riverside Drive, with her loved ones by her side.
Born on Governors Island, NY on Jan. 4, 1943 she was a daughter of the late Stephen Rowe and Lelah (Davis) Ritzel. Besides her parents she was also predeceased by her daughter, Donna Butcher and her brother-in-law, Gerald Dunning.
A resident of Hornell for the greater part of her life, Sandy was a graduate of Hornell High School and for 30 years she was a dedicated employee of Wegmans in Hornell.
Sandy was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Hornell, a member of the Hornell Moose Lodge No. 210 and the Hornell Elks Lodge No. 364.
Throughout her life she enjoyed spending time bowling with her friends, trying her luck at area casinos, online shopping, traveling and especially loved spending summers with her family & friends when they owned their cottage at Lake Demmon,
Sandy enjoyed gardening, planting flowers and was a real stickler with ensuring the family home was always clean and tidy. She loved cooking & experimenting with new foods/meals. She will be remembered for her spaghetti sauce but most of all for being a very loving, witty and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend.
She is lovingly survived by her husband of 61 years, James Brown; three sons, James (Deborah) Brown of West Almond, NY, Mark Brown of Buffalo/Williamsville, NY and Richard (Melinda) Brown of Greenback, TN; eight grandchildren, Eric (Tonya) Brown, Shelby (Zack) Whitmore, Madison Brown, Noah (Morgan) Brown, Quinn Brown, Shainah Brown, Olivia Brown and Sage Butcher; 12 great-grandchildren, one sister, Patricia Dunning of Hornell; also several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; as well as many nieces and nephews who thought the world of her and she of them.
Calling hours are 4-7 p.m. TUESDAY (May 5, 2026) at the Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home, 285 Main St., Hornell. Relatives and friends are also invited to join her family at the First Baptist Church in Hornell where a funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. WEDNESDAY with Pastor John Cwynar officiating. Committal services and interment will follow at Rural Cemetery, Hornell.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing may contribute in her memory to The First Baptist Church, 28 Church St., Hornell, NY 14843. Envelopes for memorial contributions will be available at the funeral home and church.
The Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home is honored to assist Sandy’s family with the arrangements.
Online condolences or remembrances of Sandy are welcome at bishopdesanto.com or on the Facebook Page of Bishop-Johnson & DeSanto Funeral Home.
Jim, Debbie and family we are so very sorry for the loss of your Mom. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Ken & Mary Ann Curry
Sandy and I spent many years while our children were growing up running back and forth between houses. We kept each other grounded when my boys and hers would drive us nuts. Especially Richie and my son Peter. We stayed very close until I went to work at Wegmans and then she took my place and made a beautiful career of it. After we started working outside the home it didn’t leave much time for coffee clutches.I miss those days and miss her. Friends like Sandy are hard to find. She is now in the arms of her beloved daughter Donna.
Prayers and my condolences to her family & friends. She had the best smile and always enjoyed our chats whenever we’d run into each other. What a wonderful person, she was. Such a blessing to have known her. Special hugs to her sister Pat ❤️❤️.
Thoughts and Prayers to the Brown Family.
Tom Drumm
Thoughts and prayers with Sandy and the family and her friends, especially her son James and her husband, who we’ve come to know well over the last year.