Sarah Lee (Wallen) Connelly, 42, of Battle Creek, formerly of Union City, passed away on Friday, April 17, 2026, at her aunt’s home in Sherwood, under hospice care, and surrounded by those she loved.
A celebration of Sarah’s life will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation, 1276 Tate Trail, Union City, MI 49094. Pastor Marty Burdick will officiate. Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Union City. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M., also at the Lighthouse in Union City.
Sarah was born on July 25, 1983, in Coldwater, Michigan to James and Barbara (Tenney) Wallen. Raised on the family dairy farm, she loved showing cattle at the Branch County 4-H Fair every summer. She was an honor student, ran cross country, and participated in track and field while at UCHS. She was a class leader, made lifelong friendships, and inspired by her high school teachers, pursued her teaching degree at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Her Charger track and field experience in pole vault came in handy when the Knox coaches heard of her track record and recruited her for their team. She eventually held two school records at Knox. It was at Knox where she met and fell in love with David Connelly; they married on May 14, 2011, and have two young sons, Eddie and Max.
The couple loved their metropolitan experiences, but ultimately made the decision to settle back in Michigan in 2010. Sarah taught English, coached girls’ cross country, and track and field at Union City High School, where she led her Lady Charger Track Teams to back-to-back conference championships in the past two years. She earned her master’s degree from Western Michigan University. Sarah continued to teach and coach until just a few weeks ago.
Beyond her duties of teaching and coaching, Sarah held many advisory and leadership positions at UCHS. She was a generational member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She loved holidays and celebrations with her family and time at Wallen’s Pond, especially enjoying large gatherings at her in-laws in Chicago, where thematic drinks and unique fare always provided her a reason to brag about their special treatment. She was a Chicago Blackhawks hockey fan and cheered on her own boys’ travel teams on ice.
Sarah loved to travel. After her 2024 cancer diagnosis, she spent as much time as possible on the move with the people she loved. Meeting a big goal, Sarah, Dave, and her boys took what she considered a trip of a lifetime to Yellowstone last summer. She traveled to New York City and Long Island with family. She and her best friend, Dawn Miller, were generously gifted a trip from a high school classmate to Universal Studios in December. Her mother and aunts were her faithful companions and entertainment directors in down times, as well as escorting her to and from her treatments. She attended concerts, games and school events, was a regular at Paula’s yoga studio, she celebrated milestones with friends, played in Michigan’s waters, felt the sun on her face and the wind in her hair as much as possible, and tried to indulge in all of her favorite foods.
Sarah loved life. She packed as much adventure as she could into a life unfairly cut short. She has been publicly honored and upheld by the community, teams, and classes, affectionately known as, “Sarah’s Squad.” She was surrounded with light and love, as that’s what she consistently gave to others. She will be missed by her family, lifelong friends, students, coworkers, and the entire UC community who have supported her in every step of her journey. Sarah showed us all how to live well and find joy in each breath and each encounter. She would encourage us to do the same.
In addition to her husband, David Connelly, and her sons, Edwin and Maxwell Connelly, Sarah is survived by her parents, Jim and Barb Wallen of Union City; her brothers Lewis Wallen and T.J. (Veronica) Wallen, both of Union City; her grandmother Renita Wallen of Union City; her in-laws, Edwin and Virginia Connelly of Battle Creek; her sister-in-law Clare Connelly of Harrisburg, PA; her aunts, Cheryl (Phil) Gannon of Kissimmee, FL, JoAnn Tenney of Sherwood, Deborah Carls of Sherwood, and Cinthia Tenney of Union City; her cousins, Tiffany Parks, Courtney Rocho, Chelsea Hard, Andrea Wert, Steven (Carolyn) Wallen, Stacey Merlino, Mark Merlino, and Kelli Wallen; and best friends Dawn Miller and Jon Betts.
Sarah was preceded in death by her sister-in-law Tianna Wallen (2021); her maternal grandparents Lewis and Loretta Tenney; her paternal grandfather Jack Wallen, Sr.; and her uncles, Jack Wallen, Jr. and Robert Tenney.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Bronson Cancer Center, 805 John Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 or The Union City Alumni Foundation, P.O. Box 284, Union City, MI 49094, to establish a scholarship in Sarah’s memory.
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