Ryne Sandberg Died Just Before Reaching 30 Years of Marriage With His Wife
"I wouldn’t have wanted to be with anyone else."
Published July 29 2025, 2:15 p.m. ET
Baseball legend Ryne “Ryno” Sandberg, widely regarded as one of the iconic players who “helped redefine the second base position,” according to MLB, passed away on the evening of July 28, 2025; his family confirmed in an Instagram post shared to his page. “It is with heavy hearts we announce that Ryne passed away tonight in the comfort of his home.”
Ryne died following his battle with prostate cancer, which he revealed in December 2024 had relapsed and spread to other organs.
He began undergoing much more rigorous treatment to fight it, but on July 16, he updated fans, saying the past few months had been “challenging.” News of his death came just days later.
His legacy will forever be remembered by baseball lovers, particularly Cubs fans, but it will also live on through his wife, kids, and grandkids (one of whom has already taken up an interest in playing baseball). Here's everything to know about Ryne’s wife, Margaret, their marriage, and the family they built together.
Ryne Sandberg was married to his wife for almost 30 years before his passing.
Ryne and Margaret tied the knot in August 1995 and would have celebrated 30 years together in August 2025. However, he didn’t quite make it to that milestone month, as he passed away at the end of July.
Despite their long time together, Margaret was actually Ryne’s second wife. He reportedly first married his high school sweetheart, Cindy, and the two welcomed two children together, Lindsey and Justin. After their divorce was finalized in July 1995, Ryne was cleared to marry Margaret the following month, and the two had been together ever since.
Margaret also had three children of her own from a previous marriage, and together, they built a blended family. Around that same time, Ryne had briefly retired from the MLB in 1994. Following his second marriage, he returned to the game in 1996, only to retire for good in 1997. His iconic No. 23 jersey was also retired when he officially left the league.
Ryne Sandberg’s wife, Margaret, was very supportive throughout his cancer battle.
Ryne and Margaret’s relationship was evidently very strong, enough to keep them together for nearly 30 years, raise their children as a blended family, and later welcome grandchildren, whom Ryne was proud to showcase on social media.
Not only did she make for an incredible life partner, but Ryne also credited her for standing by him throughout his cancer battle. In a heartfelt Mother’s Day Instagram post from May 2024, he praised Margaret for taking “complete control of my battle with cancer like a Team Captain.”
He added that she helped him “be as comfortable as possible and do all the [things] doctors have ordered,” and acknowledged, “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!”
Not only was Ryne deeply grateful to have someone like Margaret by his side during such an uphill battle, but he also expressed that he “wouldn’t have wanted to be with anyone else,” saying she “made my life fun and has made me a better person and continues to do so.”
Ryne Sandberg seemed to enjoy spending time with his children and grandchildren.
A quick scroll through Ryne’s social media reveals he was a devoted family man. His daughter Lindsey Newton, whom he welcomed with his first wife, Cindy, often shared photos of her dad. Lindsey has three sons, all of whom appear to be following in their grandfather’s footsteps with a shared love for baseball. Not much is publicly known about Justin, Ryne’s son with Cindy.
Ryne was also a stepfather to Margaret’s children from a previous marriage — BR, Adriane, and Steven.