It is with great sadness that we announce that Ronald Sanders “Sandy” Ligon, Jr. passed away unexpectedly at the age of 61 on November 29, 2023.
He is survived by his devoted wife of 17 years, Susan; his beloved daughter from his first marriage, Chloe Mayo Ligon; and his favorite dog, Laila.
Sandy leaves behind his father Ronald, his stepmother Marty, his brothers John (Paula), and Matt (Stacey), step-brother Fulton (Darlene) Greer, and step-sister Meg (Talley) Floyd; in addition to, nieces Jessica, Margaret, Catherine, Amelia Floyd, Elizabeth Greer, and nephew Matthew. Sandy is preceded in death by his mother, Mary Frances Schmitt Ligon. Sandy’s family loved him dearly, and he will be missed tremendously.
Sandy valued his many friendships. In speaking with those friends, the overwhelming sentiment was, “We loved Sandy.” It was important to him to cultivate trust and loyalty among each of them. Not a day passed when Sandy was not on the phone with a friend to let them know he was thinking of them. He loved his friends and family deeply, and he was loved by them.
A lifelong resident of Williamson County, Sandy attended Harpeth Academy Elementary School in its first years. Later, he was proud to call Battle Ground Academy his high school Alma Mater, where he was a member of the class of 1980. He often joked that he attended BGA during “its best years,” where the comradery of an all-boys school was something he specifically enjoyed.
Following high school, he took a post-graduate year at Bridgton Academy where he fell in love with Maine. He often visited with his father and even had the opportunity to go Moose hunting.
After Bridgton, Sandy enrolled at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky to study Psychology. He joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity where he made lifelong friends. Over the years, Sandy would meet these brothers in Lexington for the horse races at Keeneland whenever possible. He especially enjoyed going to Churchill Downs with his “Louisville brothers” the Thursday before the Derby. It was no secret that Sandy greatly enjoyed his time at Centre, and he often spoke fondly of the memories he made there. He was thrilled when his daughter, Chloe, also chose to attend Centre where she excelled.
Sandy began working in the hospitality industry at the age of 15. While at Centre, he worked for a catering company where he proudly served the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Elizabeth Taylor. Over his long career, he worked for the likes of the Ritz Carlton in Palm Beach and the Music City Sheraton. Eventually, this led him to open his own restaurant, “Sandy’s Downtown Grille.”
He cherished being a member of the Downtown Franklin restaurant community, and the memories and stories that came from that time.
After selling his restaurant in 2009, Sandy made a career change and studied to become a Commercial Realtor. He accepted a position at Tarkington and Harwell and spent many years in the industry before retiring.
Sandy and Susan lived on an idyllic farm in College Grove, Tennessee. There, they both cared for many kinds of rescue animals including sheep, donkeys, horses, emu, and guinea fowl. From a young age, Sandy had a passion for horses and especially enjoyed caring for the ones they owned.
We are deeply saddened by this tremendous loss. Although he is gone too soon, we know we will be able to find healing with the help of family and friends.
The family asks for privacy during this time but looks forward to sharing memories of Sandy at a Celebration of Life that will be held at a later date. Details will be forthcoming.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sandy’s memory to Centre College.
WILLIAMSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATION 615-794-2289 https://www.williamsonmemorial.com
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