erika sander memorial gifts
IN HONOR OF ERIKA SANDER
1941-2025
With heavy hearts we share the news that Erika Sander passed away on Saturday, March 1, 2025. She was a fierce advocate, a devoted champion of the women’s movement, and a beloved friend to many. While we mourn her passing we also honor and celebrate a life filled with purpose, passion, and generosity.
Erika’s dedication to empowering women shone through her work with the Women’s Fund, particularly the HER Scholarship Program. She deeply understood the life-changing impact of education and remained an active board director until the very end. In fact, she had even registered for the WF Community Talk Back about the Wisconsin Supreme Court held on Thursday, February 27. Though she wasn’t with us in person, we know she was there in spirit — just as she always will be.
Erika was an advocate, a feminist, a philanthropist, and a true friend. Her kindness, wisdom, and unwavering belief in a better world will forever inspire us. To honor her legacy, the Women’s Fund is accepting memorial gifts in her name. These contributions will continue the work she was so passionate about… fostering gender equity through advocacy and education.
May she rest in peace.
Click here to view Erika’s obituary, including celebration of life details in May.
Words of rememberance from the community:
“Erika was a family friend and we stayed in touch for almost 65 years. I will miss the impact she made on my life.”
“A trailblazer with boundless energy and compassion for our community.”
“She was an inspiration and a beautiful human.”
Click here to read what Mark A. Mone, PhD, chancellor at UWM said.
Dear friends,
I write to express my heartfelt condolences to you on the passing of our colleague and friend, Erika Sander.
UWM has lost a giant.
When Erika joined our faculty, UWM had only been in existence for less than 20 years. She was part of what I call the “first generation” of faculty who got this university off the ground.
During her time at UWM, Erika wore many hats – as a teacher, administrator, committee member, coach, and always, always an advocate for making UWM a better place to work, learn, and live. She selflessly jumped in to serve wherever she was needed, whether as acting lead of human resources or as head of the University Committee. She also served as vice provost, a job that required her to make many hard decisions. But Erika never shrank from doing hard things.
She received many awards over the years for her unparalleled commitment to UWM, and she deserved all of them. When she retired, she continued to show up with the same spirit and tenacity she had always exhibited in her faculty role, but this time as an unstoppable advocate for all of you. Never one to sit on the sidelines, she took it upon herself to make sure you were informed of what was happening on the campus and system level.
I worked closely with Erika in multiple roles that we each had over many years. Governance, administration, retiree leadership, and the list goes on. She was knowledgeable, smart, direct, funny, and most of all driven to make UWM a better place. I don’t think she ever said no to a request to take on additional roles or duties, and she performed them admirably. I have missed her since she retired and even more so now.
Erika operated at magnificent levels because she cared – about her colleagues and our university, but first and foremost about our students and the immense value an education could bring to their lives.
With that in mind, she was a key driver in establishing the UWM Retirees Association Scholarship, which now provides significant financial support to two students each year.
Erika was a powerhouse who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, and through that, she earned our respect and admiration. We will all long remember her feisty spirit and enthusiasm. None of this makes your loss any easier, but I do hope you find comfort in knowing that others – including me – share your grief. Erika Sander will be deeply missed but not forgotten.
Best regards,
Mark A. Mone, PhD
Chancellor