From the desk of Richard Sagar, Landaff resident- a loving tribute in Memory of Heidi Bennewitz Sagar-1939-2026:

With a heavy and broken heart I must announce the passing of the best friend that I have ever known.   Heidi left us on August 8th after a struggle with cancer that has lasted for nearly seven years. 

Despite the health challenges, I think that Heidi found much joy and happiness in those years.  I know that I will cherish the many moments that we were able to share in that time for the rest of my life.  I have never, and never will, love anyone as deeply and as fully as I love Heidi; and that love was always abundantly returned.  Part of me went with her, but I sincerely believe that a part of Heidi will remain at my side to comfort me in the journey that I must continue without her.  I could not have found a more ideal friend, companion, and true soul mate than Heidi; I will never truly understand how I was so fortunate to share my life with such a wonderful, beautiful soul.  I can only hope that I was truly worthy of the honor that I was blessed with.  In many ways Heidi was also a teacher, and my soul has benefited beyond measure from the wisdom that she shared.  I will miss her more than you can imagine, and I know that many of you who knew Heidi well will feel her absence deeply.

If it can provide any comfort to those who knew and loved Heidi, please know that the final days came quickly and without pain or suffering.  Only a week earlier she still held hope that a new treatment, started a few weeks ago, would be successful.  She had experienced increasing exhaustion in the last month or so, but otherwise continued to enjoy life.  She was able to spend the last few days in the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care on the campus of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, where she received an unsurpassed level of compassionate and attentive care.  Set in a peaceful location surrounded by gardens, lawns, and wooded areas, it is a lovely facility that seems more like a country inn than a healthcare center.  My sisters, Beverly and Sherrie, and I were able to stay in the room with Heidi for the entire stay.

Throughout the hospice stay, Heidi remained peaceful and appeared comfortable.  A number of friends and family were able to visit, and more distant friends and relatives were able to share some moments with Heidi by phone.  The disease had progressed, in the last days, to the point that it was causing much confusion; that and the increasingly overwhelming fatigue limited communication, but there were many moments where Heidi was able to interact meaningfully.  Much of the time, even when she experienced communication difficulty, Heidi was able to show an awareness of understanding, so I think that she was generally aware of the love that surrounded her, and I think that love comforted and calmed her thoughts as she navigated those last difficult hours, knowing that her life was a success and that she was loved by so many.

I was with her in those last precious hours, cradling her lovely head and holding her hand.  I tried to make her aware of my undying love and reassure her that she could leave without regrets; that she had accomplished the mission that her soul had been sent for, touching more lives than she could ever imagine, making the world a better place for so many that were blessed by her presence.  Although she was unable to speak in those last hours, she made it clear to me that she understood.  It is a comfort to know that it was a time of intense calm and peacefulness up until the very end.

She had not opened her eyes in those last hours, but as she took her last breath she was able to turn her head toward me and open those eyes.  She gazed directly into my soul and in that moment communicated more than could be said in a thousand words.  Her lips seemed to mouth “I love you.”  I will never forget that lovely, serene gaze and the comfort that she imparted as she continued on her soul’s eternal journey.  It will continue to provide comfort in the many hard days ahead.  A parting gift from a loving soul.

I can certainly speak for myself, and I am sure Heidi would join me, in expressing our immense gratitude for all the love that so many friends and extended family have bestowed upon us in this difficult time.  Thank you so much, and I am glad that you were able to be a part of Heidi’s incredible life.

A celebration of life for Heidi is planned and will be announced when the date is set.

Richard