Sandra “Sandy” (Bingley) Wilson

Sandra “Sandy” (Bingley) Wilson, age 79, of Newark, DE, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 8, 2020.

The daughter of the late Sherwood and Dorothy Bingley (“Bing and Dot”), Sandy spent her happy childhood in Trenton, New Jersey. As a young woman, she enjoyed tennis, cheerleading, bowling, and lots of dancing with her younger sister, Judy, and many neighborhood friends. Sandy had a lifelong love of music, her father having been a pianist and composer, and she was especially fond of dancing the jitterbug.

Throughout her travels in life, Sandy never met a stranger. To her, everyone was a friend. A true people person, she greeted everyone she encountered with a smile. Sandy loved to laugh, even at herself, and her pleasant nature left a lasting impression on all who knew her.

Sandy also loved to talk. And talk and talk and talk. Sometimes, family would use the word “Omaha!” to signal that they had reached their limit of chatting and needed to be relieved of duty. A telemarketer’s nightmare, Sandy would talk their ear off and leave them with no sale. But, she did it all with a sweet smile.

She especially loved to celebrate birthdays, anyone’s birthday. And, once Sandy knew when your birthday was, she never forgot it.

Sandy was devoted to her family and friends. She and first husband, Duncan Pike, raised the daughter and son she treasured, Jennifer and Jeffrey. She was a loving aunt to Lisa, Chris, Carrie and Ginny. Later in life, she took great joy in being a grandmother to grandsons, Duncan and Wayne.

Neighbors and friends recall happy times with Sandy at parties, at the beach, and at favorite restaurants Bentleys, Swiss Inn, and Chesapeake Inn. You could often find Sandy on the Fairfield or Barksdale park tennis courts, or on the local waterways with second husband, Dick Wilson, in their boat, the Little Bit.

Sandy’s last years were spent in residence at Newark Manor, where she received caring support from their staff. She looked forward to weekly trips to the Newark Senior Center for dancing and socializing. Sandy never lost her sense of fun, and spent all of her 79 years sharing her joyful spirit.

Left to carry on her legacy of laughter are her sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Tom Staed of Hopewell, NJ; daughter, Jennifer Pacana and partner, Tony “The Big One” Mellinger of Lancaster, PA; son, Jeff Pike and fiancée, Virginia Gould of Newark, DE; and grandsons, Duncan and Wayne Pike; as well as cousins, nieces, and nephews. Her family loved her dearly.

A celebration of Sandy’s life is planned for Summer 2021. In the meantime, her family invites you to make donations in Sandy’s memory to the Newark Senior Center by clicking here.