Sandra Louise Marcinkowski

“One of a kind. Fiery, fun, high energy with heart beating to the rhythm of compassion.”

Sandra Marcinkowski, of Manhattan, Kan., passed away on March 20, 2026, surrounded by her dearly loved family and friends, after suffering a catastrophic stroke on March 10.

Some people live loudly. Some people live kindly. Sandra somehow did both and made it look effortless.

She was a nurse, a fitness instructor, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter; and somehow, still so much more.

She didn’t just care for people because it was her job. She cared because it was who she was, down to her core. Sandra showed up. Not just when it was easy, but when it wasn’t. She showed up for people who needed her, and she never let the way others acted change her heart, her morals, or her willingness to love. That kind of strength is rare and it’s exactly what made her unforgettable.

Sandra was born March 2, 1985, in Wichita Falls, Texas, to Vivian and Gary Larrabee. She was raised by her mom and stepfather, Jack Jensen, and graduated from Hollister (Missouri) High School. She earned a degree in business management in 2009 from Kansas State University, and later received her licensed practical nursing degree. Most recently she received a bachelor of science in nursing degree from the University of Arkansas.

Sandra’s first marriage was to Zack Tyner in 2006. Their daughter Kiele was a bright star in Sandra’s life, carrying on her love of dance and movement and “shaking what her momma gave her,” as Sandra wrote on Facebook.

In October 2019, Sandra met Greg Marcinkowski while learning to skydive. “An entire world was created,” when they met, her friend Kat Clancy wrote. “The two of them made so much sense together.” They married on Aug. 13, 2022.

Sandra wrote about Greg on Valentines Day: “This man makes me feel accepted, supported, cherished and encouraged. He has never implied that I need to change nor judged me for being 100% myself. He understands the maze of my mind far better than most and lets me be me, even in the chaos. He has accepted that I am away from him half the year because family is important and my grandparents' comfort, health, and longevity is what drove me to nursing. How better to be their biggest advocate? We ebb and flow together without obstacles and continue to grow together. Everyone says how lucky they are. We are not lucky, we just are. We belong. Everything else just falls into place. There is no one else for me...there really never was. This in so many ways is so simple, it makes me aware that when things are right...simple is how they should be. Love you my Draco!”

The desire to help her grandparents that Sandra wrote about also led her to home health nursing for disabled and frail individuals, as well as in other healthcare settings. She was a fierce advocate for those who could not speak, and she was deeply appreciated and loved by the families she served. Sandra also loved movement – not just skydiving – but scuba and dance and Zumba and swimming. She was working at Genesis in Manhattan at the time of her passing. Her students thought she was a complete blast.

Sandra exuded life in ways most people never will, including becoming a surrogate for a stranger, helping create a family where there once wasn’t one. She spent her nights caring for others as a nurse, her days leading and inspiring as a fitness instructor, and her in-between moments doing what she always did... taking care of everyone else.

She was fearless. A skydiver. A scuba diver. A woman who didn’t sit on the sidelines of life. She jumped in, fully!

Sandra raised not only her daughter Kiele and sons Ayden and Zephyr, she also opened her home and her life to Nadia, Kenya, and Jashaun, becoming their guardian, guiding them, and loving them as her own. Jashaun now serves in the United States Air Force, a reflection of the kind of foundation she gave.

And somehow, even with everything she carried, she was light. People felt it immediately. Even those who only met her briefly described her the same way: a force… a glowing light. In honor of Sandra; Jump! Dance! Rise!

Sandra is survived by her husband, Greg, daughter Kiele Tyner, sons Ayden and Zephyr, heart children Nadia, Kenya and Jashaun, her parents, Vivian and Jack Jensen, sister Katherine Williams (Alex), grandparents Bill and Marilyn Bunyan, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and multitudes of friends who loved her deeply.

There will be a Celebration of Life on Friday, April 17, 2:30 p.m. at College Avenue United Methodist Church in Manhattan.