Willa P. Sardon, 91, was the youngest of four children, born on December 30, 1933, to the proud parents of Eugene Sr. and Willie Pearl Garland.

Willa grew up in Detroit, MI, along with her three brothers, Eugene Jr., Marshall, and Phillip, all of whom predeceased her.

Willa was a fun-loving and humorous young lady, traits that remained with her throughout her life. She also had a strong sense of God, nurtured by her church and a loving, caring community of neighbors.

Willa attended school in the Detroit school system, where she was an exceptional student. She excelled in literature and spelling and received many awards throughout the years.

Approximately three years after graduating from Chadsey High School, Willa met Gene Sardon Sr., who would become her husband and life mate. Marrying December 12, 1953, they were very much in love and always together until his passing on May 30, 2014. Willa’s compassionate heart led her into the nursing field, where she loved caring for people. Her innate empathy and nurturing nature were evident to all she encountered. She worked at Mount Sinai Hospital, St. Luke’s, and the Cleveland Clinic. Later, she retired from nursing to dedicate her full attention to helping her husband and sons run the family’s successful wholesale and retail business. Together, they built that business, raised three sons, and eventually retired to a life of travel and living in the South for 15+ years.

Willa had a flair for decorating and writing poetry, one of which was published in a book of poems titled “Collected Whispers.” Willa was also an exceptional cook who always had family and friends over the house for food, fun, sharing stories, and creating a lifetime of memories.

Willa was a Christian woman who could name every book of the Bible in order. She enjoyed going to church and synagogue but mostly believed that God was in all of us, which is why she treated everyone with love, kindness, compassion, and respect.

Willa is survived by her three sons, Gene Jr., Gary (Dalana), and Alberto; her niece, Lamoyne (Ramhog); her grandchildren, Gary Jr. (Kathleen), Gene III (Eva), Selena, Alan, Alberto Jr., Aaliyah, Jennifer, and Robert; her loving sister-in-law, Neola Sardon; nine great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, family, and friends.

Mom, we love and miss you more than words can ever express, but we know, “What lives in the heart is always with us.”

Humbly Submitted by the Family.