Sarah Elizabeth Shafer

December 23, 1977 - August 19, 2020

Sarah Elizabeth Shafer, 42, died unexpectedly Aug. 19, 2020, after collapsing on a flight to Bangkok, Thailand, where she was starting a new job as an early-childhood educator. She leaves a 5-year-old son, Theodore Alazar Shafer, whom she adopted in Ethiopia. Sarah was liberal minded and cared deeply about the rights of women and minorities. She was a beloved mother, daughter, sister and friend. Sarah was born Dec. 23, 1977, in Louisville, and was a graduate of Waggener High School and Earlham College. She had a master’s degree from Colorado College. Sarah taught pre-school during multi-year stints in Bangkok, Moscow, Addis Ababa, and Seoul. She had taken a year off as a self-imposed sabbatical and was returning for a second Thai tour. Barbara Lewis, a colleague of Sarah’s, said of her friend: “Sarah was loved and respected all over the world. She was an outstanding teacher who left her mark on a generation of children. She was kind and loving to all, a fighter for justice, and she had a heart of gold. Job well done.” Sarah enjoyed music and was in several choirs at various times. While home, she attended Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church. Besides her son, survivors include her parents, Rebecca Hostetler Shafer and long-time Courier-Journal reporter Sheldon Scott Shafer; sister Emily Shafer, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins. The family chose cremation, and a memorial service may be held later when the pandemic eases. To send online condolences, please visit www.pearsonfuneralhome.com Preferred memorials are to Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church in Louisville.