Sandra Jean (Malkamaki) Ignat

Sandra Jean (Malkamaki) Ignat passed peacefully into her heavenly reward on

December 15, 2025, holding her sister’s hand and listening to her favorite Christmas

hymns.

Sandy, as she was affectionately known, was born October 22, 1947, in Painesville,

Ohio to Evelyn (Smith) and Laurie Malkamaki. She was the younger sister to Ken

(Patricia) Malkamaki and the older sister to Ed (Susie) Malkamaki and Karen (Russ)

Tuttle. She attended Hale Road Elementary and Riverside High School. During these

years, she was an avid participant in 4-H and Girl Scouts, where she discovered her

life-long love for sewing. She enjoyed baking with her mother and learned to be a

meticulous gardener from her father.

Sandy worked in the fabric department at J. J. Newberry, where she was introduced to

her husband, Duke, by her close work friend (and future mother-in-law), Irene Ignat.

Duke and Sandy’s love blossomed as brightly as a spring garden. Together, they had

four children: Beth (Tim) Warneka, Valerie (Jim) Barnewall, Joe (Jenni) Ignat, and Julie

(Ray) Champion. Sandy was a dedicated stay-at-home mother for most of her

adulthood; she later worked in the meat department at Giant Eagle.

Sandy will be remembered by all for her generous heart, adventurous spirit, and deep

faith in God.

She is preceded in death by her parents and husband, Duke. She is survived by her

four children; grandchildren Jackie (Gabe) Zeyen, Matthew Barnewall, Christopher

Warneka, Bridget Warneka, and Abby Champion and great-grandchildren John and

Lauren Zeyen.

Family and friends will be received from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Friday, December 19,

2025, at Spear Mulqueeny Funeral Home, 667 Mentor Avenue, Painesville, Ohio. A

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:00 AM, Saturday, December 20 th at St Anthony of

Padua Catholic Church, 523 Plum Street, Fairport Harbor.

Donations in Sandra’s memory may be sent to “Operation Smile”, 3641 Faculty Blvd.,

Virginia Beach, VA. 23453

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sandra Jean (Malkamaki) Ignat, please visit our floral store.