Sarah Elizabeth Gilchrist

Sarah Elizabeth Gilchrist, whose indelible gift was caring for others, passed away March 1, 2026, at Chandler Regional Medical Center in Arizona after a sudden illness. She was 44.

Sarah was born to Connie (Dykema) Fields and Doug Gilchrist on September 19, 1981, in Rock Springs, WY. As the couple’s first child, she was a solo act with an adoring fan base. Little did we know, she was biding her time, waiting for the supporting cast to arrive.

From the moment her brothers, John (1983) and Greg (1988) were born, she doted, defended, counseled, and conspired with them. Every kid – and babysitter – within a mile radius of Eisenhower Drive knew if you tangled with one, you answered to all.

Sarah was an exceptional student and talented athlete. She excelled at basketball, volleyball and particularly softball, playing on several championship teams as a teenager. With her father as mentor and coach, she developed a fierce competitive spirit, and with a mom who graduated from the University of Wyoming, a passion for underdogs. How else to explain Sarah’s unwavering devotion to the Detroit Lions?

After graduating from Rock Springs High School in 2000, Sarah moved to Redding, CA, to attend Shasta Community College. She moved back to Rock Springs with her fiancé, Jay Jones, in 2001 and continued her studies at Western Wyoming Community College, receiving an Associate of Arts degree in Business.

On April 25, 2002, Sarah and Jay welcomed a beautiful daughter, Shaye Leilani Jones. In 2004 the young family moved to Henderson, NV so Sarah could continue her education at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Sarah and Shaye moved to Chandler in 2014.

Throughout her adult life Sarah worked mostly in the food service industry, holding many positions including hostess, server, bartender and manager. She was lauded by supervisors, co-workers and customers alike for her kindness, upbeat attitude and ability to make everyone she encountered feel like family.

Need time off or to leave early? Sarah covered your shift. Don’t speak much English? Sarah learned Spanish. Feeling down from dealing with cranky bosses and customers? Sarah organized a weekly game night. Out of cupcakes for a customer birthday celebration? Sarah walked to Frye’s. No wonder regulars lined up to be seated in her section.

One of those regulars – Hector Cedillo – connected with Sarah’s generous spirit and mischievous sense of humor, and they struck up a friendship that grew into a loving relationship. Sarah and “Blue” (as she liked to call him) shared a home not far from Hector’s daughter, Belinda, who cherished Sarah like a sister.

Sarah had a gift for making people feel seen, respected and cared for. She frequently packed coloring books, puzzles, and other knickknacks to give to people she met in passing, hoping to bring a bit of delight to their day. She was especially attentive to people experiencing homelessness — sharing food, conversation and humanity.

But Sarah’s greatest joy and proudest role in life was being a mother. As a single mom for much of Shaye’s life, Sarah poured her heart into creating a home filled with love, encouragement and unwavering support. She nurtured Shaye’s many passions with pride and enthusiasm, including a love of music and scary movies. Be true to yourself, pursue what makes you happy and never let anyone dim your light, she advised.

Our sweet Sarah lived by those words and we miss her immensely.

In addition to Shaye and her parents, Sarah is survived by brother John (Jessi) Gilchrist of Rock Springs; nephews Oliver, Ian and Bennett Gilchrist of Rock Springs; grandmother Ramona Dykema of Rock Springs; stepfather Chris Fields of Rock Springs; stepmother Lynette “Nettie” Andeen of Show Low, Arizona; several aunts, uncles and cousins; Hector Cedillo, Belinda Cedillo, and an incalculable number of people she cared for like family.

Sarah was preceded in death by brother Gregory, grandparents George and Joanna Gilchrist, grandfather John Dykema, aunt Laura Bakkala, and cousin Kathryn Gilchrist.

A Memorial Service to remember and celebrate Sarah’s life will be held at 4:00 p.m. on April 11, 2026 at Living Water Church, 855 W. University Drive, Suite 10 in Mesa, AZ. Additionally a service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on May 23, 2026 at Fox Funeral Home, 2800 Commercial Way in Rock Springs, WY.  Following the service in Rock Springs, friends and family are invited to gather for food and drinks, location to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, Sarah’s family humbly requests that a donation be made to a fund set up to support Shaye: https://gofund.me/20474f81f