Sarah Lynn Whitehead

Sarah grew up playing the piano, singing and drawing. The eldest daughter of Reverend David Whitehead and Reverend Linda Whitehead

she loved working with children and spent many happy summers at Gracefield Presbyterian Camp. She studied Music and Classics at Brock University and went on to complete a Master of Divinity at Knox College in Toronto. After several years working in the church, she decided to dedicate herself to teaching. Her patience, empathy and encouraging nature combined with her musical and artistic skills made her a natural kindergarten teacher.

After retiring from teaching Sarah planned to spend her time writing and illustrating children's books. This dream was cut short when she was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in March of this year. Sarah had high hopes for recovery and worked hard in rehab with the goal of returning home to her daughter, her books and her dogs. Unfortunately, the illness was too strong, and she passed peacefully in her sleep on Sunday morning, September 8th.

She will be very much missed by very many people, most particularly by her beloved daughter Elinor Xu Ya Ting, her parents Linda and David, her siblings Jennifer, Joseph and Christopher, sisters in law Csilla and Martha, her nephews David, Hugh, Nathaniel and Andrew, her kind cousins and a wide circle of friends.

A memorial service will be held in her honor on Saturday, October 19th at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, 154 Somerset Street West, Ottawa at 2:00 p.m.

Light refreshments will be served following the service.