How I Want to Be Remembered

The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.

An Obituary I Wrote for If I Died Today, God Forbid

Sarah Siegel was funniest when she least meant to be, or droll, as her wife Pat liked to say. At 10, during a road trip with her mom in Philadelphia, she tried to bribe a Jewish cop with matzah. Her mom had parked illegally and made her wait in the car during a quick errand. It was Passover-time and the police officer’s name badge featured a Jewish-sounding last name. Sarah took a chance. Professionally, Sarah was an IBM manager and learning designer who helped colleagues advance in their careers and in their equality. A friend called her a connector and she encouraged others in pursuing their potential. Sarah also cared about dignity for all, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people worldwide. During her nearly 30-year career at a joint venture and IBM, Sarah was proud to have helped start up the first-ever business development team dedicated to the LGBT business-to-business market and to have completed a six-month work assignment in India, accompanied by her wife. Sarah loved Pat, her feline children, Petey and Sammi, and Phoebe, Toonces, and Lucy--all three of blessed memory--and the rest of her human family along with R&B and Disco music, Jewish culture, and writing. One of Sarah’s relatives once told her, “You’re the best person I know.”