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Sandra Schmerin

Obituaries | The Tube City Almanac | April 06, 2026

Sandra Maksin Schmerin of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania passed away on April 3 at the age of 72 following an all-too-brief battle with cancer. Sandy was a beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, friend, neighbor, and – most notably – wife and mother. She touched the lives of many with her warmth, sense of humor, creativity, and curiosity. She will be remembered for making everything better – whether it was a dinner party or a walk around North Park.

Growing up in Clairton, Pennsylvania provided Sandy with stories and relationships that lasted a lifetime. She loved both where she was from and the immediate and extended family that raised her there. After graduating from Clairton High School, she attended the University of Pittsburgh, which went on to play a starring role in her life. It’s where she earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees and then had her professional career. It’s also where she met her husband and many of her lifelong friends.

She was a role model in the art of making and keeping friends. She was the common thread that brought so many together, and oftentimes when people reflect on how they met various friends, the answer was simple: “Sandy introduced us.” She kept greeting card stores in business – never forgetting to acknowledge someone on their birthday or special occasion. In recent years, when her friends had grandkids and her children’s friends had babies, she mailed cards and stickers to all of them. Prior to any holiday, her dining room table looked like an outpost of the USPS.

She was equally passionate about the sports teams she supported as the arts she frequented. It was not uncommon for her to cheer on Pitt or the Steelers and attend the symphony or a play in the same day. She was a passionate, knowledgeable sports fan whose car radio was always tuned to local sports talk, and she loved attending big games – most recently traveling to Ireland to cheer on the Steelers. Over the course of her life, she was in the stands at the Super Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, the Masters, Wimbledon, the World Series, and more, as well as an immeasurable number of T-ball through high school baseball games cheering on her son. When it came to the arts, she went to it all – from her daughter’s musicals to museum exhibits, movies, Broadway, even the Candlelight Processional at Epcot.

Speaking of Disney World, alongside New York City and London, it was perhaps her most frequented and beloved destination. She was there with her own parents the year it opened and celebrated the resort’s 50th anniversary with her children and grandchildren. It was her happy place, and everyone joked that she didn’t require a park map to navigate – she was the map. Travel brought her immense joy. Whether it was a road trip to Maine to take in fall foliage, a last-minute deal to Iceland, the annual Hilton Head week, or a long flight to Japan to mark her birthday – she always said yes, enthusiastically, to seeing more of the world.

That’s because she was a lifelong learner. First, in her collegiate studies, earning dual degrees in education. She then worked at Pitt’s School of Health Related Professions. After becoming a mom, she chose to stay home with her children and build a household and family that celebrated learning, new experiences, and doing the right thing. Perhaps the best example of this was the 1995 spring break vacation she planned that her family teased her about for many years after. They went to Las Vegas and instead of hanging out in the casino or at the pool all day, she found a chocolate factory in the middle of the desert and made “the gang” go on an hour-long tour to understand how cocoa beans turn into candy bars.

She will be remembered as a terrific host, welcoming family and friends into her home for everything from major holidays to less formal – but just as fun – get-togethers. Her originality and flair were on display in her always- impressive decorations for these events, from her tablescapes to the life-size stuffed faux bear she kept in her entryway and dressed in costumes for the season.

She was also a masterful communicator – her children recall her being their first editor, helping them find a better way to phrase their elementary school book reports. She kept conversations flowing, knew how to tell a story, raised questions others didn’t, and really listened when you talked. Each Christmas, no matter how much they pleaded to end the tradition, she asked that her husband or kids write an annual letter about the family’s recent happenings to go inside the greeting cards she of course sent out.

She exuded kindness and offered assistance any way she could, including performing her civic duty by staffing her local polling place on Election Day, and for several years volunteered with Meals on Wheels, delivering lunches to the elderly. She supported multiple other organizations with her time and efforts.

Sandy was preceded in death by her parents, John and Margaret Maksin, and her brother, Dennis. Poetically, she passed on her 44th wedding anniversary and is survived by her husband, Stephen; daughter Maggie; son Benjamin and his wife Andrea; and her cherished grandchildren – or as she called them, her little pumpkins – William, Raegan, and Eleanor. Many relatives and friends also mourn her passing.

A memorial to celebrate her life will be held at Wildwood Golf Club, 2195 Sample Road, Allison Park, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m. All are welcome.

Sandy was a voracious reader and in an increasingly rare approach in this day and age – did not buy books or use a tablet. This meant she visited her local library multiple times a week. And she loved taking her grandkids there anytime they visited. So in lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations in her memory to Northland Public Library or to City Theatre, which she wants to see remain a thriving home to quality, local productions.

To donate to Northland Public Library, visit: https://northlandpubliclibraryfoundation.salsalabs.org/donationstonorthlandpubliclibraryfoundation/index.html

To donate to City Theatre, visit: https://citytheatrecompany.org/donate-now/make-city-theatre-yours

Arrangements by the A.J. Bekavac Funeral Home, 555 5th. St., Clairton, PA 15025 (412-233-5700) www.bekavacfuneralhome.com

Originally published April 06, 2026.

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