December 7, 1965 - July 10, 2019

Sarah was born on Pearl Harbor Day 1965, and not long after, she knew what she wanted to do with her life. She said she was born to be a school teacher and scores of parents agreed with her and told her so during her 30 years at Downey Unified School District, first at Spencer Williams, then at Old River, and completed her final decade at Doty Middle School. Sarah’s love of teaching started with her love of learning, going to school in the same district where she would spend her entire career after graduating from Whittier College with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She won many awards and accolades for her work and she brought as much joy to her students, her family and her many friends, as she enjoyed. She was a bundle of energy with an outgoing personality and an adventurous spirit.

Outside the classroom, she loved to travel and she loved the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the traveling she loved most was to cities where the Dodgers were playing. More then anything, she loved being with the friends she cultivated throughout her life and who provided their support during her final months. Sarah got much of her courage having overcome childhood Leukemia through years-long chemotherapy, but she could not overcome the brain cancer that took her life on July 10.

She was predeceased by her father Lyle, and is survived by her mother Nancy; her sister Janie Shaw (Brian); her brother John (Samantha); her Aunt Janice; and four nieces.

A celebration of her extraordinary life will be in September.