Who is Ryne Sandberg's wife? Everything you need to know about Cubs icon’s long-term partner Margaret Sandberg

Chicago Cubs icon and one of the greatest second basemen in MLB history, Ryne Sandberg, died on Monday. The Hall of Famer died at 65 as his health deteriorated considerably since being diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in 2023.

Ryne Sandberg made his MLB debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981, but the three-sport star rose to prominence and later Hall of Fame stature with the Cubs. He earned 10 consecutive All-Star nods and won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards with the Cubs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.

Sandberg, a Spokane, Washington, native, attended North Central High School and married his high school sweetheart, Cindy, after graduating in 1979. However, the duo separated in July 1995. A month later, Sandberg married Margaret Koehnemann.

Both Sandberg and Margaret had children from previous marriages. While Sandberg and his ex-wife, Cindy, had two children, Justin and Lindsey, Margaret had B. R., Adriane and Steven from her previous marriage.

Apart from being life partners, Sandberg and Margaret also founded Ryno Kid Care, an organization to help children with serious health conditions.

Ryne Sandberg hailed wife Margaret as his "rock" during cancer battle

Ryne Sandberg announced his battle with cancer in January 2024. During that battle, the Cubs icon's strength was his wife, Margaret. In an Instagram post in May 2024, Sandberg shared a heartfelt note for Margaret, hailing her as his "rock."

"These past 6 months have been a journey and test for both of us but she has taken complete control of my battle with cancer like a Team Captain and I’ve managed to be as comfortable as possible and do all the doctors have ordered because of her.

"It has been a lot for her to take on but she has been the one I credit a lot for my successful winning of the battle! I love her more than ever! She is my Rock and with her by my side I can conquer anything!"

Sandberg was reportedly declared cancer-free in August last year. However, in December, his family announced that his cancer had relapsed and was threatening multiple organs.

Tributes have poured in from around the baseball community, with several Cubs players paying respects to the icon that inspired and guided them.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

Know More

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash