Sonja Revay Song

Sonja Song ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Valley Funeral Home Greenville on Mar. 17, 2026.On March 4th, 2026, our beloved Mother and grandmother, Sonja Revay Song, entered the gates of heaven after a courageous battle with Alzheimer's Dementia. Throughout her fight with this horrible disease, Sonja never lost her spunk, sense of humor, or caring for others.Sonja was born on January 24th, 1942, in Billings, Montana, the oldest of three children of Foster and Irene (Russell) Song. Sonja's father named her after the famous Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie. Although she did not become a skater, Sonja loved skiing in the Grand Tetons after the family moved to Worland, Wyoming. Sonja attended Worland High School, where she was Homecoming Queen, and graduated in 1960.After high school, Sonja attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and later the University of Wyoming where she was a proud member of the ROTC women's drill team, "Corps-Etts". At the university she also met her future husband, Gordon Swanson. They were married on August 10, 1963. After graduation Gordon was a CPA for Ford Motor Company in Detroit, where their two children, Stephanie and Derek were born. They later relocated to Springfield, IL, and then to Oshkosh. Sonja and Gordon divorced in 1981, and Sonja moved to Missoula, Montana with Stephanie and Derek to be closer to her family. In Missoula Sonja worked in Administration for Trucker's Express and then as a paraprofessional at Sentinel High School. In July 1990 Sonja and Stephanie returned to Oshkosh to be near Sonja's friends. After returning to Oshkosh Sonja worked at Bee Frank Women's Apparel in Appleton and Stange's Furniture Store in Waupaca. She also modeled in style shows for several organizations, in multiple retail catalogs, television commercials, and advertising brochures for Oneida Bingo & Casino. In retirement, true to her caring and giving nature, Sonja volunteered extensively at the Homeless shelter in Appleton and the Appleton Medical Center gift shop. She also enjoyed visiting her siblings in Montana and Phoenix, especially going to the casinos in Phoenix with her sister Judi and brother-in-law Randy. She also cherished her visits to Washington state to visit Derek and his family.Throughout her life Sonja always put others before herself and relished time with her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed listening to music and dancing (especially the jitterbug!), and loved all of nature's beauty, especially the mountains and sunsets. All who knew her loved her "spitfire" attitude, positive outlook, and sense of humor. As a woman of faith, she was a long-time member and Deacon at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Appleton. She also enjoyed reading her daily devotionals.Besides her parents Sonja was preceded in death by her brother-in-law Randy Kindel, and close friend Kay Eccles. She is survived by her daughter Stephanie (Vince) Barker of Appleton, son Derek (Sarah) Swanson of Tumwater, WA, as well as her brother Doug (Dana) Song of Roundup, MT, and sister Judi Kindel, of Phoenix, AZ. She is also survived by her five grandchildren: Seth, Ruby, Reagan, Roy, and Ruth, as well as nieces Tracy, Kim, and Heather, and nephew Kirk. Also left to mourn her passing are Sonja's dear friends Harriet and Mark Martin.A memorial service for Sonja will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. at Valley Funeral Home, N1858 Greenville Dr., Greenville, WI. A time of visitation will be held on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home. For online condolences please visit www.valleyfh.com.The family would like to thank Dr. Gretchen Wagner and Nurse Angela from Ascension Health, Dana and the entire staff at Care Partners Assisted Living facility in Hortonville, and Gabby, Linda, and Allie, from Moments Hospice, for their wonderful care and compassion for Sonja in her final months. It means more than we can express.To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.