Sarah Lynn Ames

Sarah Lynn Ames, a vibrant soul whose laughter could turn even the gloomiest days bright, has taken her final bow on this stage we call life. Born on February 20, 1981, in the heart of Milwaukee, she remained a proud Milwaukee native until her untimely departure on May 30, 2024. Sarah's life, though tragically cut short, was a vivid tapestry of joy, art, and the kind of music that gets your feet moving before your brain even knows what’s happening.

From the corridors of Grandview Highschool, where her love for painting began, Sarah's colorful spirit painted not just canvases but the hearts of everyone she met. Her infectious enthusiasm for Prince's music was almost religious – she could tell a raspberry beret from a mere glance, and her parties? Legendary! Picture this: a soiree at Sarah's place, with her famous bagel dip, where the punchline was as likely to be a brushstroke as it was a joke.

Sarah was a force to be reckoned with – courageous, generous, and loving. She was the kind of person who'd give you her last piece of gum, even if it meant she'd have to fend off garlic-breath dragons on her own. She never left the house without protecting eyebrows and her lip-gloss in hand. Her laugh was not just contagious; it was practically an airborne delight. If laughter is the best medicine, Sarah was the unofficial pharmacist of joy.

Family was the cornerstone of Sarah's world. Her daughters, Rosalina Alvarado and Nora Weber the lights of her life, are set to continue her legacy of love and giggles, with the added bonus of a grandchild on the way. Sarah's sister, Estrella Amaro, and her brother, Tony Ames, shared in the raucous laughter and the boldness that defined her. Sarah’s best friends, Jennifer Lewan, Charmaine Kempf, and Lea Mendoza, were her partners in crime, comrades in comedy, and the sisters of her heart.

Sarah's nieces and nephew knew her as the cool aunt, the one who would teach them to paint outside the lines and to dance like no one was watching – because, in Sarah's world, if they were watching, they should be dancing too.

Life wasn't always a party, though. Sarah faced challenges with the courage of a knight in shining armor, minus the armor, because let's face it, she didn't need it. Her generosity knew no bounds, and her love was as vast as the universe – possibly even including those weird, unknown bits we’ve not figured out yet.

Sarah's story, though ending far too soon, is a reminder to each of us to live with gusto, to laugh with abandon, and to dance like you're the star of your own Prince music video. She may have left the physical world, but her spirit, oh, her spirit is having the last laugh, painting the sky with the most beautiful hues and composing the soundtrack for the stars.

So, here's to Sarah Lynn Ames – Milwaukee's own maestro of mirth, duchess of dance, and queen of canvas. She has exited stage left, but the after-party in our hearts goes on. Keep laughing, keep dancing, and keep that music playing. Sarah wouldn't have it any other way.