Sara-Jo Gahm

Obituary

Sara-Jo Gahm was born in New Haven, CT, on November 16, 1963 and grew up in Glastonbury, CT. She loved animals from early childhood. As a teenager, she owned a horse and competed as an equestrian. She graduated from Yale University in 1985, having taken a “gap year” during which she completed a strenuous canoe trip through the Canadian wilderness, joined a NOLS course in wilderness skills, and went winter camping alone, deep in Denali National Park. Through her wilderness training experiences, she developed the strength, self-reliance, and confidence to take on a variety of tough challenges, particularly enjoying activities that required her to think on her feet. 

Sara-Jo entered the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1987, interrupting her studies there for two years to work as a research scholar with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the National Institute of Health, where she co-authored several scientific papers, before returning to UVM to complete her degree in 1993. She completed her residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1996. Drawn to the beauty and recreational opportunities of the Pacific Northwest, Sara-Jo chose to settle in the Seattle area as she began her career. In 1998, she married John Connolly. Their son, Eli, was born in 2002.

Sara-Jo practiced emergency medicine in Washington State for nearly 30 years, working first in Providence Hospital in Seattle, now known as Swedish Cherry Hill, for a decade, then at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett and Evergreen Health in Monroe. She was working in the emergency room when the first cases of coronavirus in the United States were identified in Washington State, and she remained on the front lines throughout the pandemic, treating patients during a period of widespread uncertainty and risk to health care workers. She retired from medicine in 2022.

Sara-Jo began working with herding dogs in the 1990s. She found joy and success in herding competitions with her beloved Australian Cattle Dogs, beginning with "Diggity" and then “Paint,” and continuing with many others. In the 13-year span between 2005 and 2017, she won the Australian Cattle Dog Club of America National Herding Championship ten times, more often than any other handler in the award’s 31-year history. Five of those wins were with dogs that she had bred. After 2011, Sara-Jo began working with Border Collies and excelled there as well. Over the years, her dogs Boss, Hank, Pace, Molly, Carey, Buddy, Digr, and Fly made her a force to reckon with. She gave countless herding lessons and hosted many a herding clinic at her home, On The Lamb Farm, in Arlington, WA. 

Sara-Jo was a warm person, with an easy laugh and a quick sense of humor, which always included the ability to laugh at herself. Calmly decisive throughout her life, she set goals and persisted quietly until she achieved them. She took special joy in the life and achievements of her son, Eli, as he grew into a capable young man, musician, and violin teacher. She treasured her caring friendships and the gatherings of close friends. Able to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and deeply dedicated to her students and her dogs, she became beloved to many in the herding community. 

In the last year and a half of her life, Sara-Jo spearheaded her extended family’s quest to establish Canadian citizenship. In the spring of 2026, she and her husband emigrated to Canada, settling on a 62-acre ranch just northwest of Calgary, Alberta. Just three months later, Sara-Jo was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer and died on August 28, 2026, less than six weeks after her diagnosis. During the entire period of her illness, from the moment of her first symptoms until her death, Sara-Jo had constant, intense, loving support from her closest friends, as well as from her family. As word of her situation spread within the herding community, friends from both the US and Canada went to great lengths and reached out to help in many ways. Unending thanks go to Rena O'Brien and Vicky Beer, who interrupted their own lives over six long weeks to be with Sara-Jo, drawing on their love and medical expertise to guide her through a complex medical system and to ensure that she was never alone as she faced her dire prognosis. 

Sara-Jo is survived by her devoted husband, John Connolly; her beloved son, Eli Connolly of Seattle, WA; her parents, Norman and Ruthellen Gahm of Glastonbury, CT; her brother, Joshua Gahm of Toronto, Ontario; and numerous dear friends and relatives.  

Memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.  

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