Sarah M. Schulz, MD, “Dr. Sarah”, SaSa, passed away peacefully in her home on August 20, 2020 . At the age of 96, she was being supported by a nurturing care team and her family until the end of her life.
Sarah Celestine Malone was born on January 15, 1924 to James Comer and Emma Josephine Malone in Atlanta, Georgia. Sarah was the youngest of 5 children.
Dr. Sarah knew as a child growing up in Atlanta, that she wanted to be a doctor, after her pet duck died and she realized that she wanted to help things live. After attending Vassar College for her undergraduate studies, Sarah attended medical school at Emory University as one of the few women in her class. There, she was the 2nd woman at Emory to be elected to the honorary medical fraternity – Alpha Omega Alpha. It was at Emory, In the chemistry supply room, where she met her future husband, Richard Schulz. They married on July 5, 1947 and went on to raise eight children while sharing a medical practice in Marianna, FL. “Dr. Sarah”, pediatrician and “Dr. Richard”, general practitioner, together, delivered over 3,000 babies at Jackson County Hospital and cared for countless members of the community for 45 years.
As a mother and grandmother, SaSa was known for her commitment to a broad range of interests: horseback riding, piano, sewing (making clothes, Halloween costumes, and repairing dolls), knitting, swimming, travel, canoeing, and spending time in the woods. These skills and experiences she also shared and taught to many as a vital part of the community.
She will be remembered for many things. Not the least of which are her big dimpled smile, her patience, her love of learning, her kindness, and her commitment to excellence in all things.
Sarah was preceded in death by her husband, Richard; her parents, James Comer and Josephine Kirkup Malone, of Atlanta, GA; and her four siblings.
SaSa is survived by her eight children, Edith Thompson and husband, Wayne, of DeFuniak Springs, FL, Elizabeth Campbell and her husband, Bill, of DeFuniak Springs, FL, Carrie Keith and her husband, John, of Waynesville, NC, William Schulz and wife, Kaye, of Newnan, GA, Louise Bruner and husband, Craig, of Tallahassee, FL, Richard Schulz and his wife, Kate, of Atlanta, GA, Gretchen Schulz of Dothan, AL, Kenneth Schulz of Santa Fe, NM; 19 grandchildren and their 12 spouses; and 24 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by one sister-in-law, Drew Schulz, of Hendersonville, NC, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Her immediate family will honor her passing, share memories, and celebrate her life in a private gathering. The family invites the community to privately remember her and the impact that she had on us all. Suggested memorials can be made to a charity of choice. May we all remember the possibilities for the positive impacts we can make on each other and in the world.
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