Savannah Christina Lively

Savannah Christina Lively was born on September 3, 2000 at Ft. Campbell, KY. It was fortuitous that she was born in a place which had a mixed identity between two states. Half of Ft. Campbell sits in Tennessee and half in Kentucky, she was born at the army hospital at Ft. Campbell Kentucky, but her birth certificate was from Tennessee. In her life she also would have many mixed identities and contradicting traits, which made her loved by most, all the more. Shortly after her birth she moved to Ft. Rucker, AL where she spent the next few years. Even though she was an Army brat, she was always close to her Arkansas roots. Her family from grandparents to cousins were regularly visiting her and she would go home whenever possible. She followed her father’s military career from Alabama to Tennessee, Texas, Hawaii, and back to Texas. She made many friends and life long relationships along the way, all the while holding on to her Arkansas roots.

Early on she showed everyone just how strong willed and stubborn she was going to be, which would be a mixed blessing in her life.

She had a deep love of animals from the very beginning. She wanted a pet of every kind and grew up with her best friend and protector Sarge. She would have a long line of animals in her short almost 25 years. She also loved riding horses, this was natural with her love of animals. Horse camp at Bucksnort with her uncle Bubby and Hayley was a favorite vacation. She loved everyone of them and gave them her whole heart, just as she did the people in her life. Savannah followed her family’s love of guns and was a dead eye shot just like her Daddy, Nane and Papa’s, however her soft heart wouldn’t let her hunt. She just wanted to go out and run through the ammo. When it came to eating what everyone else killed though, she would rather have fried deer than any other meal. While this would seem a paradox to most, it was perfectly natural to Vanna, she was unique.

Early on school was not a place she enjoyed, though she was a voracious reader. She loved learning, she just didn’t want to do it within someone else’s confines and rules. She was a free spirit from very young. She loved nature, that was a classroom she thrived in. Sitting in one place and staying quiet would never be skills she excelled at. Although she tried hard to play just about every organized sport available to her, she never found one she loved. Later her physical passions and talents were revealed in a love of dance, this explained her dislike of school as most are devoid of both. She loved music of all kinds and always wanted to move to it. She described music and dance as her soul many times. She began taking dance in Hawaii while in middle school and continued all the way through college. While at college at Sam Houston University she studied dance, but was unfortunately in a wreck that injured her ankle and ended her dreams of dancing professionally.

She took after her Papa Lively and developed a love for photography early on as well. She had her Papa’s eye for beauty, she saw it everywhere and in everyone. She saw the good in people others couldn’t see, this was a blessing and a curse, but it was who she was. She loved with her whole heart, which was immense. Those who felt that love knew it, it was boundless. She was deeply empathetic and could feel other’s pain. Even in her darkest days she was always trying to help someone else through theirs. This also was a dual edged sword in her life. Although Savannah struggled with depression and anxiety and went through many hardships, she always came back to a bright hopeful outlook. In her eyes, the world was full of amazing things for her to discover. She attempted to realize this outlook through travel. She enjoyed travel throughout her father’s career and even after her father’s retirement and move to Arkansas, she continued to travel every chance she got.

She received her early education in the bible from her Papa Goldman and Nane and Papa Lively. She was saved at bible school in Harker Heights, TX at the age of 11 and baptized by her Uncle John Bean in Pine Bluff surrounded by family and friends. While she did fall away from her faith in later years, we know once saved always saved and she is in heaven with all the loved ones who went before her.

Recently, Savannah had turned her love of children into a career passion and was pursuing her degree in early childhood education at WGU. She began substitute teaching last year and loved it. While it seems strange she would end up teaching after her dislike for school, she intended to make school different for the students she would teach than it was for her. She planned to incorporate music and movement in her classroom, as those were so important to her. She was probably the only person who did not want to see summer break come for school. She was excited for school to be starting again.

She loved her family fiercely, she could give them hell, but no one else should even try around her. She was small but mighty when she was mad. She had no biological siblings but the Lord blessed her with four girl cousins who were like sisters to her; Michael Denise Goldman, Kirsten Nicole Pennington, Hayley Elizabeth Goldman, and Harleigh Jo Bean. They brightened her life and she theirs. To name all the “family” she is survived by would be impossible. Savannah had a large family made not only of blood but of those who spent their days with her in her role as a military child. She is survived by her biological family consisting of parents James and Jennifer Lively, grandparents Richard and Elizabeth Lively, Mike Goldman, Sr., Lydia Hooker, and great-grandmother Marjorie Goldman. Her Aunts and Uncles include Mike Goldman Jr., Randy and Leisa Pulliam, Steffany Princko, and Andrea Lively, great aunts and uncles are John and Sheila Bean, Bonnie Davis, Sandra Goldman and Mark Goldman, and great great aunt Pat Chidester. The cousins are too numerous to mention.

Savannah managed to pack a lot into her short 25 years. Just like her place of birth, she straddled many lines and was a host of contradictions. Many hearts are aching at the loss, the world is a darker place without her light.

A Visitation will be held on Friday, August 15, 2025 from 5:30-8:00 pm, and the Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 2:00 pm both taking place at Smith Family Funeral Home in Hot Springs.

Guest registry at www.smithfamilycares.com