Sandra Shaffner-Gelet

Sandra Shaffner-Gelet, known to family and friends as Sandy, died on October 29, 2026, at the age of 78. She was a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she had spent her entire life among the family and friends she loved most. Her passing was announced through an obituary published by D'Alessandro Funeral Home and Crematory, the Pittsburgh funeral home handling her arrangements.

Sandra Shaffner-Gelet was not a public figure in the conventional sense of holding elected office, working in entertainment, or building a notable career that drew national attention. She was, by every account available, a private woman whose life was centred on home and family rather than on public achievement. The obituary that introduced her to a wider audience described her as strong willed and outspoken, with a sharp sense of humour and a readiness to speak her mind that those who knew her say was part of what made her memorable.

She was born Sandra Steinberg and later took the surname Shaffner before marrying Paul Gelet, whose own name she added to hers. Paul Gelet, her husband, died in November 2019, having predeceased her by nearly seven years. Together the couple raised two children, a son, Michael Shaffner, and a daughter, Michelle Shaffner. Sandra was especially close to her two granddaughters, Aliza and Chaya Shaffner, and being their grandmother was, by the family's own description, a source of tremendous joy for her in her later years. She is also survived by her son's wife, Pamela, and by her sister, Joyce Braun.

Because Sandra Shaffner-Gelet lived largely outside the public eye, little has been documented about her education, career, or any professional accomplishments. No cause of death has been made public, and her family's tribute focused instead on her character and the warmth she brought to the people around her. The announcement of her death, through a funeral home obituary rather than wider news coverage, reflects the scale of a life that mattered deeply to those who knew her personally even though it did not register broadly in public records.

Tributes so far have come from her immediate family, who remembered her as someone who would be deeply missed and who built a life centred on the people she loved. As with many private individuals memorialised after death, further details about her life, including any career history, community involvement, or personal interests, may become available as more is shared by those who knew her. This page will be updated if additional verified information emerges.