MADISON – Sara Rae Jurgella, age 42, of Madison, passed away on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, at UW Hospital. She was born on Oct. 3, 1980, in Menomonie, Wis., the daughter of Gregory and Jacqueline (Anderson) Pavek.

Sara graduated from Dodgeville High School in 1999, where she excelled as a student and starred on the cross-country and track teams. She continued her academic and athletic success at UW-Eau Claire, graduating in 2004 with a degree in environmental and public health. It was there where Sara fell in love with Neil, and upon graduation the two of them explored Hawaii and deepened their love on a month-long camping and hiking adventure.

She and Neil married on Dec. 16, 2006, in Eau Claire. Her compassion for others and fascination with the healing power of the body then took them to San Jose, Calif., where Sara received her D.C. in 2008 from Palmer College of Chiropractic. In 2010, after a year living in Fort Collins, Colo., with two-year-old Jack in tow, Sara and Neil moved to Madison to be closer to family and continue to grow their own.

Sara continued her career at LSM Chiropractic and eventually opened her own clinic, Be Well Chiropractic and Wellness, with a longtime co-worker, friend, and business partner. Also certified in functional medicine and yoga, she practiced as she lived, focusing on the things that need attention and taking time with each patient, in fact everyone she met, to counsel, teach, and heal.

Sara shared her big, bright love through cooking heaps of healthy dishes, proudly running marathons with her father, backyard cookouts and campfires with dear friends, making the other person the important one, volunteering at schools, and reading, reading, reading, to and with her children. But what she found most centering was being with Neil, Jack, Milo, and Hazel in the natural world. In her words “We are a family of hiking and biking and outdoor adventurers. Camping and traveling with my family is my very favorite activity on Planet Earth.”

Sara is survived by her husband, Neil; children, Jack, Milo, and Hazel Jurgella; parents, Greg and Jackie Pavek; brother, Josh (Katie) Pavek; nephew and twin nieces Oliver, Miriam and Lucy Pavek; father-in-law, Ron Jurgella; mother-in-law, Janet(Eric) Finn; brother-in-law, Dan (April Hallmark) Jurgella; sisters-in-law, Gail (Daryl) Getz and Mary Sue Jurgella; and niece and nephew, Violet and Greyson Getz. She was preceded in death by her loving grandparents and aunt.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Sara wanted nothing more than to have an outdoor celebration in nature amongst the trees with family and friends present to tell stories, and, in Sara’s words, “Remember the good times because there were so many!”Memorials may be made to the family for a fund to be established. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.