“I Lived My Life to the Fullest With You” – Ryne Sandberg’s Final Days and His Undying Love for His ‘Rock’.y1

CHICAGO — In his final days before leaving this world, baseball legend Ryne Sandberg did not mention the MVP title, did not remember the historic home runs. The only thing he kept talking about was his wife, Margaret.

“She was my rock. The only light that kept me from being swallowed up in the darkness of cancer,” Sandberg wrote in his final letter to fans.

Sandberg, a former Chicago Cubs star and Hall of Famer, died on July 28, 2025 at the age of 65 after a battle with advanced prostate cancer. Throughout his treatment, he spoke endlessly about the woman who held his hand throughout that grueling journey — not with tears, but with pure gratitude.

A husband and a quiet hero
Ryne and Margaret met in the final years of Sandberg’s playing career. She was there when Sandberg turned away from the limelight to coach young players in the Minor Leagues. She was there for every grueling trip, every chilling chemotherapy session. And as the disease progressed, she was the only person he saw each morning.

“He didn’t talk about baseball much anymore,” a close friend said. “He talked about Margaret. About the way she held his hand, about the way she made coffee at 6 a.m., and the look in her eyes that made him believe there would be a tomorrow, even when the doctors said there was no hope.”

Not home runs, but enduring love
Sandberg was once a symbol of strength, the man who lifted the Cubs from the depths with a legendary game in 1984. But at 65, the only strength he had was his undying love for his wife. In a letter to fans before he passed away, he wrote:

“She fought with me every step of the way. When I was weak, she was strong. When I was desperate, she held hope. Without Margaret, I would not be the Ryne Sandberg you know.”

A gentle final chapter
Margaret was by his side until his last breath. She held his hand, wiped the sweat from his brow, and planted a kiss on his cheek as he closed his eyes. There was no crying. Just complete silence between two people who had walked together through glory, sickness, the spotlight, and the darkness of the hospital room.

Wrigley Field will always bear his name – but it is Margaret’s heart that he returns to
The day the Cubs wore the unnamed No. 23, fans paid tribute to Sandberg with a standing ovation. But perhaps the most beautiful farewell was the gaze of the woman in the front row – who never left him, even after everyone else stood up to leave.

Because in that love, Ryne Sandberg never really left.