The Life of Sara MacAllaster Brooks
Sara Lane MacAllaster, age 67, passed away in the comfort of her home on Monday, April 1 2024. She was born in Alexandria Bay, NY, on August 1st, 1956, to the late Archie Freeman MacAllaster II and Barbara Torrey MacAllaster. The family later moved to Southport Connecticut, where she spent most of her childhood.
She was a carefree and explorative child; she relished summers spent swimming, fishing, and boating with her two brothers and many cousins at her grandfather’s estate on the St. Lawrence River. Years later, she would often reminisce upon those years and remark with awe about the sight of thunderstorms as they rolled across the great river.
In high school, Sara made lifelong friends at The Choate-Rosemary Hall School in Wallingford CT, before going on to graduate from Wheaton College in Norton, MA. In 1978. She spent time living and working in New York City and Katonah, NY, before returning to Southport CT to build her own family in 1994.
She was active in her community and gave much of her time and effort to volunteerism. She spent years delivering meals to seniors via the Meals on Wheels program and donated a great deal of her time to The Fairfield Women’s Exchange, an organization dedicated to supporting women in need. She was proud of having been elected the first female member of the Bedford Golf and Tennis Club. She was a member of the Country Club of Fairfield, active in her local chapter of the Sasqua Garden Club, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Fairfield Birdcraft Museum of the Connecticut Audubon Society. Sara found the most joy in time spent with her family and friends. She was particularly joyful in the early years of raising her daughter, Alexandra MacAllaster Brooks. Sara was a sensitive woman with an enormous heart; she felt deeply and cared for loved ones and strangers alike. Among the many who loved her, she was known for her empathy, her kindness, and her fierce sense of loyalty. Sara was a lover of the arts. She loved music; and radiated joy when she sang and danced along with her favorite tunes. She had impeccable taste and took great care and pride in her home. She enjoyed being active; biking, swimming, and walks with her dogs were her preferred form of meditation. She was a hockey superfan; and could often be heard yelling words of encouragement to her favorite team, the New York Islanders. In her private moments, she was an avid reader. She was a lover of animals; from her four beloved bichons to the troves of songbirds who visited her daily. She had a wonderful sense of humor, and her laughter could light up any room.
Sara is survived by her daughter, Alexandra Macallaster Brooks, her former husband, John W. Brooks, Jr., several cousins, and David Starratt MacAllaster of Fairfield Ct: her youngest brother and dearest friend.
She was predeceased by her mother, father, and her older brother, Archie Freeman MacAllaster III.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 18th, 2024, at 10:00 A.M. at The Southport Congregational Church – 524 Pequot Avenue, Southport CT.