Sarah James

Sarah Christina (Olson) James, 48, born in Chicago, IL on October 20th, 1977 passed peacefully in her sleep on December 25th, 2025 in Navarre, Florida. Sarah was a loving wife, mother, and devoted educator. She first served her community as a financial planner and found her true passion in her second career as an educator. In all things she helped improve the lives of others.

Sarah spent her early childhood in the Chicagoland area, before moving to Fredonia, Wisconsin in 1988. There she helped on the family farm where she deeply loved and cared for her horses and other animals. She was a Girl Scout and enjoyed working at Camp Evelyn Girl Scout residential Summer camp in Plymouth, Wisconsin throughout her teen years. She was in her element teaching skills, connecting with and supporting the younger scouts.

Sarah moved with her family to Gulf Breeze, Florida in 1997. Sarah met Joe James of Navarre, Florida in 1998 and they became great friends. Their friendship grew the next three years, despite Joe moving away for graduate school, Sarah moving back to Chicago to be with her grandmother, and both eventually returning to Navarre in 2000-2001. They began dating in 2001 and married in March 2002.

Sarah graduated with a degree in Finance from University of West Florida in 2002 and took a position at First City Bank as an Assistant Branch Manager before working as a Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch, First City Bank, Raymond James, and Met Life. In 2007 Joe and Sarah welcomed their twins Eliot and JB, with younger sibling Zoe arriving in 2011. Sarah served as a Girl Scout Leader for her girls’ troops from 2015-2020. She decided to make a career change and began substitute teaching. Sarah began her role as a classroom teacher at West Navarre Primary School in 2021, teaching kindergarten for two years before moving to teach middle school math at Woodlawn Beach Middle School in 2023. In March of 2024 Sarah was awarded Rookie of the Year for Woodlawn within the Santa Rosa County District Schools. She also served as parent volunteer with the Colorguard at Navarre High School and was co-leader for the Stockmarket Club and Amazing Shake programs at Woodlawn Beach Middle School. Most recently she was pursuing her Masters Degree in Education Administration from University of West Florida and had just passed the Florida Educational Leadership Exam on December 23rd. In her spare time Sarah enjoyed watching her children participate in sports and activities, traveling, gardening, baking, games, and planning family trips. She will be remembered for her joyful, encouraging and loving presence in the lives of all who knew her.

Sarah always worked to make the lives of her family, friends, community, and society better. This came into practice as a teacher who was always trying multiple ways to connect to different children, providing them with various paths and techniques to work through a problem, or deal with behavior. Her optimism and hard work often ran into structural roadblocks, but she always did her best to make things better.

Sarah was preceded in death by her Father, Fred Olson. 

Sarah is survived by her husband of 23 years, Joseph James, and children Eliot (18), JB (18), and Zoe (14), Mother Lynnea Broberg of Chicago, Illinois, Brother Matthew Olson (Nicole) of Delavan, Wisconsin, Mother and Father-In-Law Janet and Joe James of Navarre and many cherished in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. 

A Celebration of Life has been planned for Friday, January 2nd at 1 PM at Rose Lawn Funeral Home in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Immediately following the ceremony there will be a reception at Holley-By-The-Sea Recreation Center Beach House in Navarre, Florida.

In lieu of flowers an account has been established to support the education of Sarah and Joe's children.  Donations can be made to https://venmo.com/u/tallcuppajoe