Sarah Catherine Marsh

For 8 years, we had the privilege of parenting the most incredible little girl that we will ever be honored to know. Sarah was named in honor of her mom’s best friend, Sarah, and her name means “princess” – or daughter of a King. And she was exactly that: a beloved daughter of the Mighty King, Jesus, who called her home suddenly, on July 4th in the flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country while she was having the time of her life at summer camp.

Known affectionately as “Sissy,” “Little,” or “Baby Sis,” Sarah was the joy-filled, adventurous, snuggly light of our lives. She made friends quickly, approached new experiences with courage and excitement, and had a way of quickly drawing in anyone she met. She was both tough and tender, sassy and sweet, fiercely loyal and so much fun!

She loved to show off her splits or a new dance with her friends and would have eaten a California roll and a bag of candy three meals a day if we’d let her… and maybe a half-dozen raw oysters for good measure. Though she sometimes teased that her big brother John was “annoying,” she loved him more than anyone in the whole world. They were truly best friends—known for hugging each other in the school hallways as if they hadn’t just seen each other that morning, snuggling on the couch watching slime videos, or getting into creative mischief at home and around the neighborhood.

Sarah’s radiant smile and joyful energy could knock your socks off, and her kindness was balm to any soul she met. She loved tagging along to meet Mommy’s patients and was the best “surgical assistant” when Mommy needed to shave off a mole or stitch up Daddy’s finger after another cooking mishap. She adored Daddy’s students at Samford and was convinced that many of them hung the moon.

Her sass showed up early—her 2K teacher once whispered, “I’m supposed to correct this attitude, but honestly, I hope she never changes!” Sarah has the most quirky, kind, fun bunch of friends – many of whom weren’t even friends with each other. She just loved who she loved and would stick by their side no matter what other people thought.

Sarah adored and was adored by her cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and the many “aunts” and “uncles” who claimed her as their own. We will hold tight to eight years jam-packed with memories, stories, pictures, and videos, and we will continue to love and celebrate Sarah every day for the rest of our lives. She will always be our daughter, sister, grandchild, cousin, and friend.

Sarah is survived by her parents, Jill (Waters) and Patrick Marsh, her big brother, John; grandparents Cita and Papa Muddy (Jenger and Steve) Waters (San Antonio, TX); DeDe and Papa Barc (Debbie and Barclay) Marsh (Mooresville, NC); aunts, uncles, and cousins David, Robin, Brooke, and Foster Waters (San Antonio, TX) and Jordan, Allison, Logan, and Cameron Marsh (Kannapolis, NC); many “aunts” and “uncles” in Birmingham, Dallas, Waco, and Arlington (you know who you are!); Mommy’s Hoo Crew; Daddy’s Samford family and students, and many treasured friends, neighbors, church family, and teachers. She entered joyfully into the arms of Jesus, holding hands with her Bubble Inn sisters.

We welcome anyone who loves Sarah and her family to join us for a celebration of her extraordinary life on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham, Alabama. Reception to follow at the church.

In lieu of flowers, a legacy fund has been established in Sarah’s name. The family requests with gratitude that memorial donations be directed to the Sarah Marsh Memorial Fund/Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham located at 1531 Third Avenue North, Suite 100, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 or by visiting their website at https://www.cfbham.org/sarahmarshmemorialfund/. Her parents and brother will lovingly direct donations toward causes that reflect her joyful spirit and passions and bless others in her honor. #LoveBigLikeLittle.

Services are under the direction of Ridout's Valley Chapel (205.879.3401) in Homewood.