Sandra Deal, a former first lady of Georgia, succumbed to cancer on Tuesday. She was 80.
Deal passed away at her Demorest home, accompanied by her family and husband, former governor Nathan Deal.
Sandra Deal passed away
Early in 2018, Deal received a breast cancer diagnosis, and a tumor was removed. For several months, she would get chemotherapy, but according to the family, the illness spread to her brain. Sandra Deal, the wife of former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80.
She was known for her support of early literacy throughout her husband’s two decades in office. The former governor and several family members were present when Sandra Deal passed away on Tuesday from breast cancer that spread to her brain in the northeast Georgia town of Demorest, according to the Deal family.
The former governor and several family members were present when Sandra Deal passed away on Tuesday from breast cancer that spread to her brain in the northeast Georgia town of Demorest, according to the Deal family.
Who Is Sandra Deal
Emilie Sandra Deal (née Dunagan; born in 1941 or 1942; died on August 23, 2022) was a language arts teacher and education reformer in the United States. She held the position of First Lady of Georgia from 2011 to 2019 as the spouse of the 82nd Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia, Nathan Deal.
Deal, who spent more than 15 years teaching in Hall County, accomplished her goal of reading to students in all 159 Georgia counties, all 181 school districts, and several pre-kindergarten classrooms, eventually stopping by more than 1,000 schools.
Deal stated in an opinion post published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2018 that “a child’s brain develops at a remarkable pace between birth and his or her eighth birthday, and this growth hinges on a solid start.”
Career of Sandra Deal
Prior to being elected as the first lady of Georgia, Dunagan spent more than 15 years instructing language arts in public schools. She later retired from teaching sixth-grade middle school in Hall County, Georgia.She promoted literacy and education across the state while serving as Georgia’s first lady, for which the Georgia Association of Broadcasters gave her their 2016 “Georgian of the Year” award.
2015 saw the publication of her book Memories of the Mansion: The Story of Georgia’s Governor’s Mansion. Copies of the book were provided to every public library in the state of Georgia. She delivered the keynote address during the 2016 summer commencement of Georgia Gwinnett College.
The Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy was unveiled by Georgia College & State University in 2017. a state-sponsored.
Deal, who spent more than 15 years teaching in Hall County, accomplished her goal of reading to students in all 159 Georgia counties, all 181 school districts, and several pre-kindergarten classrooms, eventually stopping by more than 1,000 schools.
Sandra Deal Personal life
In 1966, Dunagan wed Nathan Deal. Jason, Mary Emily, Carrie, and Katie are her four children with the former governor Deal. In January 2018, Sandra Deal received a breast cancer diagnosis. In May 2018, she finished her radiation treatments. She passed away from breast cancer that had gone to her brain at the age of 80 on August 23, 2022, at her home in Demorest, Georgia.
As a mother, grandmother, teacher, and church volunteer, Sandra Deal has dedicated her life to issues pertaining to family and children. Mrs. Deal decided to become a teacher, taking after her parents. She received her degree from Milledgeville’s Georgia College and State University.
Since her retirement from teaching, Mrs. Deal has focused on supporting her husband in his public service work and keeping busy as a grandmother. With a Servant’s Heart,” the first lady’s platform, is built on a foundation of outreach, community involvement, and volunteering. As college students, the first lady and her husband, Governor Nathan Deal, went on a blind date.
Since their 1966 wedding, they have been blessed with four children and six grandchildren. They are associated
Deal’s work on Child Brain Development
Deal stated in an opinion post published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2018 that “a child’s brain develops at a remarkable pace between birth and his or her eighth birthday, and this growth hinges on a solid start.”
The earlier we can encourage kids to learn about their feelings and how to get along with others, the better we can motivate them to learn more about the world, and the more probable it is that they will succeed in life.
Deal co-chaired the Georgia Literacy Commission, which pushed for third-grade reading competence. At Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, where Deal received her undergraduate degree, a centre for early language and literacy was named the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for it in 2017.
Tributes to Sandra Deal

Sandra Deal’s public and private selves were identical, according to a statement from her family. “She selflessly, consistently, and ceaselessly gave to others. Although we shall miss her, we are grateful that we were hers. She departs from this planet having improved it.
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In a statement issued on Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp stated, in part, that “Her generosity of spirit assured not only that she was beloved by her students, but also that she was an influential force in their lives, leaving an impression not just on their minds but also on their hearts.”
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