Sandra Kay Sola

Sandra (Sandy) Kay Sola, of Olathe, Kansas, and beloved mom, grandma, sister, aunt, godmother, friend, wife, daughter, woman of faith; lover of Elvis, Seinfeld, black licorice, going to movies, Chiefs football, Royals baseball, staying up late, and all her family and friends, passed away at 77 years old on January 15, 2025. Sandy was born on February 17, 1947 in Kansas City, Missouri to Frank and Catherine Stretz. Growing up, her family also lived in Detroit, Memphis, and Jacksonville, where she loved the beach. In Jacksonville, she was a 1965 graduate from Bishop Kenny High School and moved back to Kansas City with her family shortly after. It was there she met the love of her life, Vince Sola, while working at Black and Veach, and they got married on April 1, 1967, within 6 months of meeting. They spent 55 wonderful years together and their marriage served as a strong example of love and devotion through life’s celebrations and challenges. Her love for Vince continued after his passing in June 2022. She missed him terribly and longed to be with him eternally in the presence of our Lord.

Sandy had 4 children: Mike Sola (Christen), Jim Sola (Kaily), Debbie Straub (Hank), and Rick Sola (Lindsey). As her children married, mom welcomed their spouses, created many memories, and shared many laughs with them as she took each in as her own. She was an amazing mom who raised her kids to “waste not, want not” and to always be truthful. Love and compassion for all, even in disagreement, was a value she impressed upon them. Her devotion to her kids was tireless and she never rested when pertaining to her family. She loved summer with her kids, being at the ball fields, and especially at the public pool where she would take them almost daily. Delicious home-cooked meals were the norm and the meal wasn’t over until there was dessert, which was often homemade. Mom had quite the “sweet tooth” and her caramel brownies were a legendary staple at family gatherings. She would pack school lunches each day and be sure to include one of her desserts or a snack cake. Mom wrote a daily note on a whiteboard in Debbie’s room for her to see when she came home from school. An exchange of these dry-erase notes took place throughout those middle and high school years. Mom was a wonderful listener and always available for her kids. She made all their events and accomplishments seem like the most important thing in the world and especially emphasized the importance and celebration of their birthday. Mom never missed a holiday no matter how big or small. Whether it was a little Valentine’s Day treat and note placed at the breakfast table, the importance of wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, hurrying up the family walk to the Olathe fireworks on the 4th of July, hanging up “Igor” the skeleton for Halloween, or the anticipation of setting up the Christmas tree and all the accompanying decorations, mom knew how to make things fun and to build anticipation for her kids; she knew how to bring a smile and joy to their faces. In recent years, mom hosted a Christmas day gathering at her house for her kids and their families. She put in countless hours of baking and preparation and thought nothing of it for what it was all for—bringing her family together. 

Sandy was a proud grandma and very close with each of her 13 grandchildren: Abby (Ashton), Jake, Josh, Stephanie, Nick, Drew, Emily (fiancé Jackson), Spencer, Joe, Kaitlyn, Beckett, Lincoln, and Easton. She and Vince (grandpa) attended all the grandchildren’s events they could, and she continued to make that a priority after grandpa passed away. She loved playing games with her grandkids and initiated monthly game nights within the past year as a way to bring the family together. Just days before she passed, all her grandkids surprised her at her house, with bags of food and a stack of pizzas, to have a slumber party with grandma. They spent the evening together talking and laughing, enjoying the food, playing games, and designing T-shirts to commemorate this special event. The next morning, as her guests were leaving, she asked them all for “just one more hug” saying how she didn’t want it to end. This party brought so much joy to grandma and was such a blessing to have been able to occur. She loved and treasured her grandkids with all her being, having a unique bond with each of them of which they will never forget.

Sandy was an aunt, a sister, and a friend to so many. She was never without a smile and had a wonderful sense of humor that often took the form of self-deprecating. She was known to get “tickled” by a funny and her laughter would progress into a sustained, silent laugh that would persist for minutes until she could catch her breath. This was a family trait as she, along with her siblings and parents, would share this same laughter every time they were together. Joy and laughter were a hallmark of Sandy’s personality. She was very close with her siblings: Sharon Khoury (Richard), Peggy Stretz, Frank Stretz (Paula), and John Stretz. Their visits to Kansas City brought her so much joy and she always made sure to have a fresh batch of goodies for their arrival (probably sugar cookies). She valued their frequent phone calls, texts, and emails and was a confidant to them and her many friends. She also had a special bond with her sister-in-law, Linda (Sola), where, when together, they could best be described as “two peas in a pod.” Together, they shared big smiles, strong laughter, and, quite often, dancing. Her other sibling-in-laws—Richard, Paula, and Tony (Sola)—were every bit her brother or sister and she loved them, and their shared trips, outings, and laughs, so much. As aunt, Sandy brought the same joy and laughter to her nieces and nephews. Aunt Sandy was fun and joking around with her was the expectation. Her nieces and nephews could always count on a hug and a smile from their aunt. Family was so very important, and she made staying connected with extended family a priority, as well, through lunch dates, emails, phone calls, and never missing a family gathering.

To know Sandy is to know how much fun she liked to have. She was very social, loved people, and going out “for a bite.” She and Vince were known for their frequent movie outings, which required being in their seats before the previews started. She loved movies and a well-known family “rule” was not to call her the evening of the academy awards, which she loved to watch. She would see the humor at the inevitable pre-show calls made from family who knew better, but they were sure to conclude the joke before the show’s start. Sandy loved her Olive Garden lunches with friends and family and those special shopping and movie outings with her daughter. She marked her calendar with all her kids’ and grandkids’ events and did all she could to attend everything. Since her early 30s, she kept a daily diary and never missed an entry. With these diaries, she could verify with great precision any historical, family-related, detail. She could always count on a new diary from Vince each Christmas. She loved to dance at weddings and family gatherings, or in her kitchen, and a “woop woop” was not uncommon to hear from her when having fun with family, especially when cheering on the Chiefs. Text threads were a way to maintain even more frequent contact with her kids and grandkids, but she valued most the phone calls and visits. She loved her “granddogs” and would always bring a treat when she came over to their home. Sandy was a true friend and a light in the lives of those who knew her. No one knew Sandy without a smile and even in recent years, when emotional and physical pain was surely present, she always had her joy and spark. Her smile and laughter, her hugs and conversations, and how she made us all feel in her presence will be so missed.

To fully describe Sandy, one must bring up her faith. Her devotion to her Lord and Savior was strong and she never missed her adoration hour at Prince of Peace, where she was also a founding member. Attending Mass was non-negotiable and her steadfast faith served as an example and an inspiration to all her family. 

Sandy loved people, loved life, and sharing her joy and laughter with others. She had a servant’s heart best exemplified by the loving and tireless care she gave to her parents, her husband’s parents, and her husband in their final years. She was an avid supporter and volunteer at Catholic Charities and was the last to take a bite at her family gatherings. The love and support given by so many friends and relatives have been a tremendous comfort to those closest to her. Indicative of her care and concern for all of us, she always said when it was her time to go, she wanted everyone to have fun at her funeral, to celebrate her life, and not to mope around. Her strong faith and devotion to our Lord, along with the intense love and longing she had for her husband, bring immense hope and comfort to her family even while missing her dearly.

Sandy is survived, and will be greatly missed, by her children, grandchildren, sisters and brothers, her nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless extended family members as well. 

Sandy was preceded in death by her husband (Vince), parents (Frank and Catherine), and father and mother-in-law (Louis and Joyce Sola).

Services will be held Friday, January 24, 2025 starting with a Rosary at 9:30am followed immediately by a visitation. The visitation will conclude at 10:55am with a funeral Mass beginning at 11am. After cremation and on a date to be determined, a private burial ceremony will be held at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery for both Sandy and her husband Vince.