Obituary of Sandra Jan Meischen

Cat heaven will be happy, one of their greatest supporters is arriving!

Sandra Jan Meischen entered the world without a cat on November 17, 1945, but she corrected that error as soon as she could. Aiken Elementary, Grace Academy and Aiken High made her decide on education was for her, not to teach, but to go to as many colleges in the South that she could: University of South Carolina, Berry College in Rome, Ga. University of South Alabama, etc. After she earned her PhD in Chemistry and a Masters in Engineering she was done. Six patents, and more cats than that, later she retired and moved back to Aiken taking care of her best friend, her mother, June Busbee.

Along with being hugely and immensely capable and accomplished, Sandra exhibited a wide ranging intellect, interesting and interested, hilarious sense of humor, a shared sense of the absurd, an ability to laugh at herself. Anyone who was her friend had a wonderful friend. She even managed to expand our family with a “bad” sister (family joke).

While many people will read all forms of fiction, Sandra read, ‘Einstein’s Mistakes: The Human Failings of Genius,’ non-fiction biographies of scientists, and other books with indecipherable titles. However, her exclamations weren’t strictly scientific unless one wants to explore the makeup of ‘bat shit.’

Cans of cat food were always in her car just in case she came across a hungry stray. Once, with brother and his wife on vacation in Florida they went to a par 3 golf course that was lit for nighttime golfers and, while playing the second hole, she spotted a kitten, which morphed into several hours of three people trying to catch this kitten for sis.

She may have retired from work, but she never retired from doing and learning, latching onto the world of ceramics. While others at Edgefield Technical School concentrated on small bowls, Sandra designed a large ceramic tabletop and how to fire it in pieces and put it back together. Her chemistry background naturally led her to examine which chemicals were in various glaze recipes.

She met regularly with The Mud Pool of ceramic ladies where the chemicals used were widely known as wine and, when the pandemic hit, she organized video chat calls so they could continue their chemical exploration.

After starting her cancer regimen, she decided it was time to fly in a sailplane, ride horses through western North Carolina where The Hunger Games were filmed, go around a racetrack in a 750 HP Lamborghini, skydive at I-Fly, shoot a shotgun at sporting clays (she hit 8), learn to snow ski, and just basically have fun.

Sandra left this world on Monday afternoon, August 1, 2023 in her beloved home with her family at her side just as she would have wanted it. Now she is going back to Texas to be reunited with her mother and grandparents. This great friend, sister, daughter, and person, made the world better and she will truly be missed by her brother, Danford Meischen of Aiken; her uncle, Sammy Blalock of CA;  her aunt, Bobbe DiPrimio of CT; a bunch of cousins, and a host of great friends.

A celebration of Life for Sandra Jan Meischen, will be held Saturday, August 19, 2023, from 10 am until 2 pm at her residence. Food and refreshments will be provided by What's Cookin' Downtown.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, http://donate.cancer.org.

The Historic George Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 211 Park Ave SW, Aiken, SC 29801 (803) 649.6234 has charge of arrangements.

Online expressions of sympathy for the family may be left by visiting www.georgefuneralhomes.com.