Sarah was born on November 11, 1949, in Lakewood, Ohio, the fourth child of the late Hattie F. and Samuel R. Pursglove. After her family settled in Suffern, New York, she grew up there with her siblings, the late Hattie Jo Mullins, Samuel Richard Pursglove, Susan P. Bartlett, and Joseph Pursglove II. After graduating from Suffern High School, she attended West Virginia University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. Subsequently, in 1971, she attended New York Medical College, Graduate School of Nursing, where she met John, her husband of 48 years. After finishing their master’s degrees, they began their life together as a U.S. Navy family. During John’s Navy career, they lived in Chicago, IL; Ceiba, Puerto Rico; Monterey, CA; and the Washington, DC area. In each location, Sarah worked as nurse in several different, and often challenging, roles. Not only was her clinical knowledge exceptionally strong, she was also sought after in medical situations because of her foreign language skills. She completed her professional career as a nursing professor, teaching for more than two decades at Montgomery College in Maryland.
While Sarah could easily be commended for her contributions in nursing, she always said her greatest accomplishment in life was giving birth to three magnificent children, John Benjamin, Anne Pursglove, and Thomas Edward. Her love for them was unquestionable and unending, and they brought her joy throughout her life. She was also passionate about her grandchildren—Ella Paz Trejo Boyer (daughter of Ben and his late wife Xenia), and twins Hattie Gloria and John Arthur Golub Boyer (children of Annie and her wife Cortney)—who she treasured endlessly. Accordingly, in 2015, Sarah and John moved to San Diego to be close to them.
In addition to her immediate family, Sarah’s devotion to others—nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, godsons, goddaughters, and children of all of them—was also particularly noteworthy. She was exceptionally generous to everyone, and she was also always committed to helping those in need whether she knew them or not. Whenever she saw inequities and abuse in any form, she wanted to help. Despite numerous medical challenges during her lifetime, including breast cancer and Parkinson’s Disease for more than 18 years, she always found time and ways to make a positive difference in the lives of countless individuals and families.
If anyone would like to make a contribution to a worthy charity in her honor, some of her favorites include:
The Parkinson’s Association of San Diego
640 W Solana Circle #25
Solana Beach, CA 92075
858-999-5671
South Bay Community Services & Mi Escuelita Preschool
430 F Street
Chula Vista, CA 91910
619-420-3620
The Scripps Health Foundation
P.O.Box 2669
La Jolla, CA 92038
844-442-4483
International Rett Syndrome Foundation:
4600 Devitt Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45246
800-8187388
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.merkleymitchell.com for the Boyer family.
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