Who was Ryne Sandberg’s first wife? All about Cubs Icon’s relationships as he dies at 65

Ryne Sandberg, the baseball Hall of Famer, passed away on July 28, 2025, after battling prostate cancer for a long time. He was 65.

According to People magazine, he was best known for playing second base with the Chicago Cubs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 after spending 16 years with the Cubs. Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement that he was a

“hero to a generation of Chicago Cubs fans and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise.”

Ryne Sandberg is survived by his wife Margaret, his kids, and his grandchildren. He was initially married to his high school sweetheart, Cindy White, in 1979. They shared two children - Justin Sandberg and Lindsey Sandberg. Despite their divorce in July 1995, they continue to co-parent their kids.

Continue to read more about their relationship.

All about the relationship of Ryne Sandberg with his first wife, Cindy

Ryne Sandberg tied the knot with his first wife, Cindy, in 1979 at the age of 19, according to a report in the Men's Journal.

He played for the Chicago Cubs from 1982 to 1994. He briefly retired and then came back in 1996. He played for one more year before finally retiring. He retired for the first time due to marital issues with his wife, which led to their divorce in 1995. In his 1995 biography, Sandberg wrote:

“I quit because I didn't like my job anymore....The truth is my personal situation had nothing to do with why I announced my retirement from baseball.”

Although he mentioned that “everything was fine” between him and Cindy but court documents and interviews with Sandberg reflected that he was in a miserable position during that time, as he suspected that his marriage was coming to an end.

At the time of their custody battle, as per Sports Illustrated, Cindy testified that Sandberg retired from baseball to spend time with their children.

The outlet reported that she filed for divorce on Dec. 17, 1993, citing that their marriage was “irretrievably broken”. However, they reconciled 12 days later. She refiled on June 20, 1994, after Sandberg announced his retirement from baseball. Their divorce was finalised in July 1995.

Four days after his divorce, Ryne Sandberg was engaged to Margaret Koehnemann, who was his neighborhood friend. They tied the knot in August 1995. She brought her three children, BR, Adriane, and Steven, from a previous relationship. They started to live in suburban Phoenix.

A 1995 report in the Spokesman Review indicated that Ryne Sandberg planned to return to the game following his second marriage. Sharing her views on the same, his first wife, Cindy Sandberg, said:

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“If that’s what he wants to do, great. I’m not married to him anymore. This is his profession. This is his job. I have two beautiful children because of him. And I am very thankful for that.”

Ryne Sandberg was first diagnosed with cancer in January 2024. By August 2024, doctors declared him cancer-free, but it returned in December 2024.

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