Sarah Daly Stewart

Sarah Daly Stewart
April 22, 1957 – August 6, 2013

Our beautiful wife, mother, and friend Sarah passed away peacefully at St. Mark's Hospital on Tuesday, August 6th after battling breast cancer for over six years. She was surrounded by her close family over the last several days of an extraordinary life. She was 56 years old.

Sarah was born to LeGrand and Velma "Nod" Cass Daly in Laguna Beach, California on April 22, 1957 as the oldest of three siblings. Sarah loved living at the beach. The water was her sanctuary, and the ocean brought her intense joy over her entire lifetime. Sarah's family moved to Houston, Texas when she was very young but returned to Laguna Beach a few years later when Sarah's mother was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Sarah's Mom passed away when Sarah was fifteen years old – an event that forever impacted the person she was to become. Like her mother, Sarah's life focus would be family and serving others.

After graduating from Bishop's School in La Jolla, California in 1975, Sarah eventually ended up at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she studied to become a Special Education / Adaptive PE teacher. It is at Cal Poly where Sarah met her husband, Mike, who was attending the School of Architecture and Environmental Design. The college years together were filled with joy, laughter, and good friends. Sarah and Mike graduated from Cal Poly in May 1979 and were engaged a short time later. Sarah and Mike were married in University City, California on April 19, 1980 and lived in San Clemente, California for a short time before moving to Oceanside, California in 1981, where they lived for five years. It was in Oceanside where Sarah's first two children were born. Caitlin Marie Stewart was born on April 13, 1985, and Megan Lee Stewart was born on July 23, 1986. Young Sarah had her hands full with her two young daughters but loved her time with them. She continued to work part time in the special education field, which was something that she was very passionate about. In 1986, the family moved to Encinitas, California where they would live for the next ten years. It was in Encinitas where Sarah's youngest daughter Stephanie was born on June 6, 1989. The Stewart family was now complete, and it was during this time that Sarah's emphasis shifted away from her work to raising her family. It was also during this time that Sarah's closest childhood friend Sandy Cordato, and her husband Tom, moved into the Encinitas area. It was in Encinitas where Sarah developed some of her closest friendships and experienced some of her greatest joy. Encinitas was also where Sarah began to pursue her passion for the public education system. From the time her daughter Caitlin entered kindergarten, to the time she moved from Encinitas, Sarah continually volunteered within the school district. Her love for all children, and their overall well-being, fueled her passion to improve the public education system. Sarah's passion was the driving-force behind her husband Mike's involvement in the public education system, and it became a shared passion that stayed with them both through their daughters graduating high school. In 1997, Sarah and the family moved to Park City, Utah to pursue Mike's dream of opening a land development and home-building company in Salt Lake City, Utah. While many wives with deep connections, like Sarah had in Encinitas, would have refused to entertain this move, Sarah supported Mike as she always had. This new chapter in Sarah's life would be filled with joys and challenges, but Sarah, always the optimist, loved Park City and made it home. As in Encinitas, Sarah immersed herself in the public education system and chaired many of the committees within the school district. She was President of the PCSD PTA for several years and was instrumental in starting and protecting many of the outdoor and field trip activities in the elementary and middle schools that still exist today. It was also in Park City where Sarah became very involved in St. Mary's Catholic Church. She taught catechism for several years, but her greatest joy was the Women's Group, which she was instrumental in starting and served as Vice President, and President of, for several years. Through her efforts, Sarah was able to help raise more than $100,000 for the Group. Many of Sarah's closest Park City friendships were made in the Women's Group. She loved all of these ladies deeply. It was also here that Sarah started what was to become the St. Mary's Holiday Craft Fair in 2003 – a pre-Thanksgiving fundraising event where local and regional vendors could sell their wares with the proceeds going to the Women's Group, the Church, and several local charities. Sarah either ran or chaired this event since its inception, and it was something that brought her great joy and lasting friendships.

Sadly, in May 2007 Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer that metastasized to her liver in November 2010. Throughout this entire time, Sarah continued to push ahead with all of her volunteer and day-to-day activities. She refused to let cancer define who she was or what her life could become. Friends and family were continually amazed that, even in the face of a devastating diagnosis, Sarah continued to care more for the needs of others than for that of her own. A great example of this was the starting of her Christmas Hat Drive for the UCS Cancer Center. After years of chemotherapy treatments at UCS, Sarah noticed that the hats patients wore were often used hats and of poor quality. In 2011, just before Thanksgiving, she decided to hold a small Holiday party, hoping that friends and family would donate a few new hats for her new found cause. What started off as the hope of receiving 15 to 20 hats resulted in literally hundreds of new donated hats and caps for the UCS patients. She was able to keep the "Hat Tree" well stocked throughout the winter. The tradition continued in 2012 and we, as her family, intend to continue this event for years to come.
Sarah's legacy was one of service to all those who needed a helping hand or just someone to talk to. Her compassion and love of family endeared her to so many. She continued what her mother started so many years before her, and her life was a testament to her faith and unwavering spirit. Sarah was a bright light when times were the most difficult, with a smile that could always light up the room.

Sarah is survived by her husband of 33 years, Mike; her daughters Caitlin, Megan, and Stephanie, and her son-in-law Jeff; her sister Marcia, her brothers John and Austin; her niece Haven; her mother and father-in-law C. Dean and Dixie Stewart, and many close relatives and friends.

A Vigil to celebrate Sarah's life will be held on Tuesday, August 13, 2013 from 6 – 8 PM at St. Mary's of the Assumption Catholic Church, 1505 W. White Pine Canyon Rd., Park City. A Funeral Mass for Sarah will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 11:00 AM also at St. Mary's of the Assumption Catholic Church. Interment to follow at Park City Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in Sarah's name to the UCS Cancer Center, 3838 South 700 East Suite 700 Salt Lake City, UT 84106.