Sara Leland Stalman

1948 - 2020

Sara Leland (Peters) Stalman, mother, grandmother, doctor, and passionate advocate, died July 9, 2020 in Seattle, WA.

Never one to back down from her convictions and loyal to her core, she savored the beauty she saw in living things and lived her life committed to a belief in the inherent good of mankind.

Sara grew up in Montclair, NJ, graduated from Carleton College with honors in 1970 and went on to graduate first in her class from Rush Medical School in Chicago, after which she completed her residency in psychiatry at New York Presbyterian/Cornell Medical Center, while raising a young daughter. She pursued a career in psychiatry in Williamstown, MA, ultimately resulting in her life's work, which can be found on her website bornforjoy.com. Sara then moved to Maine, where she happily lived in a cabin with a wood-burning stove nestled in the woods, growing her own vegetables and gathering mussels from the sea. Upon the birth of her first granddaughter, Sara moved to Seattle to be close to family, but she never lost her love for the people and scenery of the northeast.

Sara was an activist throughout her life and devoted to causes that advocated for the rights of the poor and oppressed. In addition to her social/political advocacy, Sara made meaningful contributions through her extraordinary gardening and, most recently, her involvement with community gardens: tending a children's garden and helping to establish a donation program with local food banks.

She is survived by dear friends, her siblings, and her daughter Kate and beloved granddaughters-who miss their Gaga tremendously.