SARAH MANDEL

MANDEL--Sarah Hope, died peacefully on June 1, weeks shy of her 43rd birthday. She was a descendant of the Oneida Community, where she spent parts of her youth soaking up its rich cultural history. Her home was in Manhattan where she was engrossed with the arts from a young age, singing in the New York City Opera as a child and performing in the film "Billy Bathgate." She attended the Dalton School followed by Bard College, where she studied painting. After graduation, she spent a year singing with a band in the famous old bars in Greenwich Village. She then settled on her career choice of psychotherapy, earning a post-baccalaureate degree at Columbia University and a Doctorate of Psychology at Rutgers. In her private practice she helped patients with depression and anxiety, with a particular focus on maternal mental health. Sadly, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer at the age of 36 and was eventually forced to give up her practice. In the years that followed, she wrote a memoir called "Little Earthquakes" (published by HarperCollins), which received professional attention and has helped many readers navigate traumas in their own lives. Sarah was the beloved wife of her college sweetheart, Derek Rodenhausen, and the mother of two adored daughters, Sophie (10) and Siena (6). Sarah was treasured by her parents, Sally and Barry Mandel, and by her brother Benjamin.