Sandra Lee Pavlak Gill, wife of Deacon Peter Gill and mother of Christopher Scott Gill and Jillian Gill Corbin, died Saturday May 9, 2026 at her home surrounded by family after a brief illness. She was 82.

Sandy was born in Norwich, daughter of the late Joseph and Ruthe Urban Pavlak. In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her sisters Joann, Susan and Hiedi, several grandchildren, nieces and nephews and a special close friend Chris Hetzer. She was predeceased by a sister, Cheryl.

Sandy attended Norwich schools, graduating from Norwich Free Academy. She had exemplary administrative skills and after graduation worked for a while at the old Reid & Hughs and later at the Norwich Bulletin.

It was while she was at the Bulletin that she met her future husband, a reporter at the paper. It was on her last day of working at the paper that she came to the editorial room where Peter was busy typing to announce she was leaving and offered him a cupcake. They had a brief discussion, and Sandy gave him her phone number in case he wanted to continue the conversation.

He did. That was in 1963. On Jan. 24, 1964 they were married. Life took a dramatic turn for Sandy and Peter when the Middletown Press offered Peter a position, they moved to Middlefield in 1966 and have lived there since. It was a life changing move.

With the urging of the late Judith Neuman, Sandy completed her sacraments to become a Catholic, being tutored by the late Rev. Michael Gajewski. Her enthusiasm for her faith encouraged her husband to take instruction and he, too, became Catholic. From that point, Sandy became super active within her parish of St. Colman, and without. She served as Parish Secretary for 39 years, spending a half day there and then the other half of the day working in the office at Didato' s Oil.

She served on the Ladies Guild and helped with various parish events. When the late Rev. Robert Cronin became pastor of St. Colman, he suggested the parish might consider a committee to plan funeral receptions.

That struck a special note in Sandy's heart which developed into the St. Colman Care and Share Committee. She spearheaded that committee for more than a decade, drawing parishioners into an active ministry of helping others in times of grief.

After retiring from parish work, Sandy volunteered for several years at St. Vincent de Paul Place in Norwich. Sandy was a minister of service, always thinking of ways to help others. She had a particular joy in helping her nieces and nephews. "Cioci Sam" will be remembered as one of God's special ministers, one who was well loved by young and old.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday (May 18th) at 10:30 a.m. at St. Colman Church, Hubbard St., Middlefield. Calling hours at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown will be held on Sunday (May 17th) from 2 to 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to St. Vincent de Paul Place, 120 Cliff St., Norwich, CT 06360 or at https://www.svdpp.org/ . To share memories or express condolences online please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com.