Eulogies
Sarah's Father
Eulogy for my daughter Sarah
Sarah was her given name but like her younger sisters, she had a special name. While Emily is our Angel and Caroline our Sunshine, Sarah was our Princess. Not in a mean or entitled way but in a kind, gentle Disney fairytale Princess way.
Sarah was good. She always did the right thing. She was never disrespectful, didn’t break rules, and always told you the truth. Sarah had a strong sense of right and wrong….I remember when we were living in Naperville, Il. and she was in 6th or 7th grade. I had taken my car in for repair and was given a loaner, a red Ford Escort wagon. From the shop I drove to church to pick up Sarah and her friend from bible study. As we were walking out of church, I pretended that I couldn’t find my car and got increasingly upset. In frustration I went to the Escort, pretended to jimmy the door, got in and hot wired it to run. I stood up and waved them over and told Sarah to hurry up and get in before someone saw us!
She stood defiantly with her arms crossed and refused saying “NO! thats not right. We are not getting in that car! It took some time for me to convince her that I was just kidding. She required a full explanation and was not happy with me the rest of the day.
Sarah worked hard in school. She achieved honor role every year and Deans list in College. She did it all on her own, never asked for help, typically staying up late to finish her assignments or to study. Some of her fondest memories were of going to Safety Town as a child. It’s a fun kid sized town where all students of Naperville ISD go to learn about personal and public safety. Teachers, police, firefighters and public officials would come to share important rules, laws and advise about self awareness and safety.
She was not usually competitive, she played soccer but more for the social aspect then for winning, however when it game to games of wit, she would get excited and animated, she came out of her shell. She loved pajama party pictionary game night, the Saturday after every Thanksgiving. It was a tradition.
And Sarah loved holidays and traditions. Carving pumpkins for Halloween, our Eater egg hunts which she participated in even up till this year, ( but more recently of course, not for candy but for cash).
But Christmas was her favorite…drinking hot chocolate, looking at Christmas lights, picking out a tree and the thrill of Christmas morning. We really made that a big deal.
Sarah loved being a part of something bigger than herself. She loved the Emerald Bells Drill Team, her Kappa Sorority, our family and God’s family.
She had a strong faith. She grew up in church and attended bible studies, but more importantly, she walked her faith by how she conducted herself with love, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness.
Sarah hated surprises and she was not spontaneous. As an example she would always give detailed descriptions for Christmas gifts and when we bought her something she didn’t ask for, she would say thank you and at the same time riffle through the box to find the receipt for a return. She wouldn’t get in the car unless she knew exactly where she was going. And when it came to vacations, she would always require a detailed itinerary.
Sarah had a hard time making decisions. It was agonizing! She would have to weigh all her options, the pros/cons, the risk/rewards, but once she decided, she would stick to her decision and follow through. In the end she had a hard time making a decision because she was afraid of making the wrong decision. But making decisions is part of growing up and learning life’s lessons. Perhaps one of her greatest life’s lessons, one I repeatedly praised her for was when she tried out for the Emerald Bells. In her sophomore year she vacillated whether to try or not because her friends were undecided. At the last minute her friends decided to do it and she didn’t have much time to prepare. While her friends made the JV squad, Sarah did not make it that year. She was devastated. Her junior year she practiced hard and while friends made varsity, she made the JV squad. Again,she was disappointed and hurt. She considered dropping out but that wasn’t Sarah. In humility and courage, she showed up for every game and did her best. She was a leader and was someone the other girls looked up to. Her senior year she made varsity and enjoyed the sweet success and reward from all her hard work and dedication.
Sarah held herself to the highest standards and would not settle. In her work after graduation, she landed a job at Fidelity Investments, then went to Merrill Lynch, but in neither case was she happy. Her heart was to work in and move to downtown Dallas. And that is just what she did. She moved into an apartment of Lovers Lane and found the right job, perhaps as much a family at Thackeray Partners, a small real estate development company.
She also wouldn’t settle at love. She expected a prince charming and that is exactly what she found in Jeff. You know as father, you can serve, nurture, protect and provide your daughter, but the one thing you can never provide, the thing you pray for most is a man who would choose to love her with all his heart, with all his strength, unconditionally and forever. That is the man Jeff is. Especially in the last six months, he has been by her side most every minute of every day, tirelessly attending to her every need with positivity, words of love, encouragement and hope. I remember a quote from the move The Wizard of Oz “ A heart in not judged by how much you love but how much you are loved by others”.
In my life, I have never seen demonstrated a greater love from a man for a woman. Our Sarah had the love of a lifetime and Jeff will always be a part of our family.
Sarah was always a quiet person, but her quietness was like still waters that run deep. In her quietness she carried a deep love for others, loyalty to others, self assurance and self respect. In the last six months, in her quietness she showed more patience and strength, greater dignity and grace than anyone I have ever known or encountered.
Truly, she is not only the daughter we will love and cherish forever, she is an inspiration for her generation and she is our heroine.
I love you princess….
-Mark Pospisil
Sarah's Kappa Sisters
In thinking about what I was going to say today, I began thinking of friendship and how it happens that friendships are made. In reflecting on my friendships with Sarah and the girls beside me, I couldn’t figure out how they came to be and how we became so close – it just happened. In a way, I think that’s how all great friendships are – you meet one day and someday later you wake up and it feels like those friends have been there forever because it’s such a natural and easy friendship. It’s almost like they were always meant to be in your life, and it was just a matter of crossing paths.
That’s how it was with Sarah. We all crossed paths at Kappa at Oklahoma State University. I can’t tell you the first time I met Sarah, or our first conversation. But I do remember the first text message she sent me. It was a couple weeks into our freshman year, so we were still trying to find our way in college and find our niche of friends. I was standing outside the Classroom Building when I got a text. “Hey girl, it’s Sarah! Wanna grab lunch after class?” I stood there for a minute, racking my brain trying to remember who this Sarah was. Finally, I replied, “Sorry, Sarah who?” “Sarah from follies at Kappa silly!” she reminded me. Luckily, Sarah didn’t hold that forgetfulness against me. I don’t remember us grabbing lunch, but I do remember that Sarah became my first real Kappa friend shortly after that, and soon, we were inseparable. It’s crazy to think that was almost a decade ago, but so many of my college memories include Sarah in one way or another.
It’s hard to put into words how much a person means to you, and there’s not enough time today to really tell you what Sarah meant to each of us. Sarah was one of the best friends we’ll ever have. There are so many qualities that made Sarah not just an incredible friend, but a downright amazing person. Sarah was poised and full of grace – she was always put together. She took pride in herself and what she represented. She was committed and dedicated; she took her obligations seriously, excelling in school and completing anything that was asked of her.
One of Sarah’s best qualities was her confidence. She wasn’t confident in an in your face kind of way. She had a quiet confidence about her that became apparent once you got to know her. In an environment where college kids are trying to figure out who they are, Sarah was ahead of the game. She knew who she was, and more importantly, she knew her worth. She wouldn’t let anyone compromise that or let anyone walk all over her. Sarah didn’t let others push anything on her, and she never judged anyone else for what they wanted to do. She was always herself and enjoyed every minute of it. It was truly inspiring.
Of all our memories with Sarah, the ones that stick out the most are those of her laughing, smiling, and dancing. It’s those seemingly little moments that now mean the most. Sarah was so full of life and truly enjoyed every minute of it. She was the first one to start a dance party whether we were in the car, at a bar, at a date party or in the Kappa house. She radiated happiness, and we know she’s up in heaven starting the dance parties and teaching everyone how to Wobble.
Sarah had a heart of gold. She cared not just about her friends and family, but also about those in need. Throughout college she enjoyed volunteering her time to help others. She always encouraged us to get involved with clubs and causes like Relay For Life and Dance Marathon, which will make volunteering for similar organizations in the future all the more meaningful and special. Even in the midst of her own battle, Sarah was thinking of others, as she wanted to paint inspirational quotes for other patients so they felt loved and supported.
Sarah’s love and loyalty to her friends and family knew no boundaries. She was always incredibly patient whether it be listening to our current dilemma—probably boy drama—or helping Jaden with her accounting and finance classes. Whenever we went to Sarah, she wasn’t just listening and responding with half-hearted advice. She was always fully engaged and actively listening to us. She would take the time to formulate thorough and meaningful advice. She would be real with us, telling us what we needed to hear, but always in the kindest way. Sarah was truly one of the most thoughtful and genuine friends, and we were so blessed to have her in our corner.
Sarah was one of a kind. We will miss her kind soul, quick wit, and killer dance moves. We’ll miss her chiming in on our group chats and her sound advice. We’ll miss her contagious laugh and her bright smile. There are so many other things we will miss about her. We will just miss her, plain and simple—probably more than we even realize in this moment.
We truly believe that Sarah was meant to come into our lives, and we are eternally grateful that we crossed paths all those years ago. Sarah touched our lives just as she touched so many of yours. Her memory will live in each of us, and we will all carry a piece of her with us forever. Although she was taken far too soon, Sarah lived a full life, and we can all learn something from her. Be a little more confident in yourself. Smile and laugh a little more. Dance like noone is watching. Honor your commitments. Be more present. Love deeply. If we would all be a little more like Sarah, the world would be a better place.
Because we knew Sarah we were changed for the better and for good. We love you, Sarah.
-Jaden Souther, Lauren Smith, Amy Smith.
Sarah's Fiance
As you may know by now, Sarah and I met as a part of the same new hire class at Fidelity. I remember getting caught up in, watching all of her cute mannerisms, like the way she would smell her hair while she was reading or double shrug her shoulders in conversation.
The first time we hung out was on Friday, February 14th, two weeks into training class. All the singles in class, decided to go Flips in Grapevine for drinks to celebrate “Singles Awareness Day”. Sarah sat across from me and we talked for hours, forgetting anyone else was even there. A theme that would continue through our relationship as we often got so caught up in one another that we would lose track of where we were or where we needed to be.
After a first and an unsuccessful attempt at asking her out, I finally got her to agree to go out with me. Sunday, February 23rd was our first date. We went to Top Golf in Dallas and played lawn games while waiting for a bay. I remember looking at her smiling at me with the sun shining and slight breeze blowing through her hair thinking, this is the most beautiful woman in the entire world. She walked towards me and wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulder as she hugged me. At that moment my heart melted and I knew I would love her for eternity. After our date, as we stood saying our goodbyes, I leaned in and kissed her. I felt her heart almost beat out of her chest and immediately knew that she felt the same way.
She cherished every moment, the opportunity create even the smallest of memories, and taught me the same. I did everything I could in every moment to make sure she knew that I loved and always will love her. Sarah would tell you the day she fell in love with me is every day because she continues to fall more and more in love everyday. Her continuously growing love for me has become part of my soul and has made me a better man. I will carry our legacy of love into everything I do for the rest of my life to honor her.
-Jeff Broaddus