Sarah Elizabeth Brack

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Obituary of Sarah Elizabeth Brack

Sarah Elizabeth Brack, 61, beloved wife of Gibby Brack, passed away, of cancer, at 6:23 the evening of May 11, 2020, at Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, Oregon.

Born June 23, 1958 in Lawrence, Kansas, Sarah was the daughter of Robert Vincent Brack and Susan Elizabeth Shaw. In her youth, Sarah lived in La Mesa, California. She volunteered, the summer she turned 17, as a medical aide with Amigos de las Americas, giving vaccinations in Nicaragua and Ecuador. After attending college at the University of Kansas, Sarah moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to work at Four Queens, Hilton and O'Sheas.

In 2000, Sarah relocated to Portland, one of the few cities with protections for those transgender. Full Circle Temple was inclusive in welcoming self-identified women to full moon ceremonies, drum circles and other special gatherings, and it was here that Sarah met Gibby. Their 18 year union was among those that helped pave the way for marriage equality. They married Oct. 7, 2006. Sarah's love song to Gibby is "Precious & Few"; Gibby's ballad to Sarah is "Life & Breath".

Sarah found a hobby in her website, "Heart, Mind & Hand", offering vintage sheet music, going back as far as the Civil War era.

Sarah was employed at US Bank, where she was a valued team member.

Sarah leaves her cherished spouse, "Oliver" Gibson (aka Gibby) Brack; treasured mother, Susan Elizabeth Palmer (Shaw); step-father, Frank Palmer; dear brother, Kevin Lee Brack and his partner Jane Axtell; aunts and uncles, Linda, Julia and Courtney Shaw, Priscilla "Pi" McKinney (Shaw), Darrel Thomas Shaw, Jr., William "Blair" Shaw; many cousins; and dear friends, Terra Baker and Rhonda Clapp.

She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Vincent Brack, and her grandparents, Emil Henry Brack, Emma Brack (Graf), Darrel Thomas Shaw, Sr. and Elizabeth Josephine Shaw (Penn).

Paternal ancestors of Sarah included Volga Germans who colonized in Russia, then emigrated, around the turn of the 20th century, to Otis, Rush County, Kansas. On her maternal side, Sarah was a descendant in the William Penn family, and was an eleventh great granddaughter of Mayflower passenger, Thomas Rogers.

Sarah's family gives sincere thanks to the many wonderful staff people at Providence who cared so lovingly for Sarah in her last days before passing. Sarah's final gift to this world was that of her eyes, through Lions VisionGift, by virtue of being a designated organ donor on her driver license. Her corneas were successfully transplanted in two partially blind people, restoring vision and improving their quality of life.

Those wishing to make a gift in her honor are invited to consider Transpose Community Choir, Brave Space, or SAGE Metro Portland at Friendly House, all in Portland, Oregon.

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