J2S Marketing and Sales professional Sarah Lynne Stem, 44, passed away February 13, 2024, following a bout with breast cancer. She was a beloved member of the J2S family, her local community in Ohio and the HTM community.
J2S employees came together to share the news of Sarah’s passing via Facebook.
“We are deeply saddened to share that last week we lost a beloved member of the J2S family, Sarah Stem, after a long battle with breast cancer,” the Facebook post reads. “Sarah’s joyful energy left an impact on everyone she encountered, both personally and professionally. She was a passionate advocate for the HTM industry and an integrity-driven team leader. Sarah was more than a colleague though; she had a way of making her employees and customers truly feel like family. We are committed to upholding Sarah’s bright vision for our company and honoring her legacy through the values she has instilled in J2S from our very first day in business.”
“We cannot thank our industry friends enough for your kindness and outreach during this tough time and throughout Sarah’s entire battle. The impact she has left on our team will be felt forever,” the post adds.
Tom Bledsoe, the owner of Bledsoe Imaging Group and president of the Kentucky Association of Medical Instrumentation (KAMI) considered Sarah a friend and a colleague.
“I first met Sarah through our local Biomedical (HTM) society, known as the Kentucky Association for Medical Instrumentation (KAMI). Local is a loose term because we are in Kentucky, she was in Ohio. The first thing I noticed about her is her energy and her smile,” Bledsoe said. “She quickly became involved, and was elected to the board of directors, typical of Sarah, and was instrumental in planning our very first annual symposium. If you’ve never been in the planning of one of these it can be daunting. Without this conference, I genuinely think our organization could have folded. She rolled up her sleeves and jumped into action, including creating swag bags, banners, name tags, and probably things I never knew of. We were like-minded and said if we were going to go down, we were going out with style. The KAMI BOD has often heard me say, ‘If it weren’t for Sarah, this event would not have been the success it was.’ Obviously, it took the whole team to plan and pull off a symposium like ours, but I loved the way she and her team took over tasks of which I wasn’t even aware. She will be missed in the industry and KAMI.”
“I will miss my dear friend and that smile!” he added.
Her signature smile always added a positive jolt to those who encountered it and it was an infectious grin that always seemed to be on display whether she was in the office, meeting a customer, attending a conference or making a trip to the grocery store.
Several colleagues have shared their memories and thoughts about Sarah since her passing. The following is just a small sample of what she meant to so many people in the HTM community.
“Sarah was always bright and shiny. She had a big smile and a wicked sense of humor. Sarah and J2S have been excellent partners since I met them in 2015. I will miss you until we all meet on the other side. And somebody keep the cactus watered,” said John Schafer, biomed manager with Renovo.
“Sarah and I met over a decade ago when we both started our own companies. Although we were in completely different sides of the HTM industry, we still worked together on ideas of managing conferences and employees. Her positive and outgoing personality made it a true pleasure to work alongside her. She will truly be missed and the HTM industry lost an amazing person. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and the J2S team,” shared Alex Maldonado, owner of Exclusive Medical Solutions.
“I am deeply saddened to hear about Sarah’s passing. I’ve mostly had the pleasure of collaborating with her at conferences. Sarah was always very kind and professional. She was also very knowledgeable and could always help find us a solution. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends,” said Kevin Hutcherson with the Dayton VA Medical Center.
“My favorite word for Sarah is loyal. She was devoted to whatever she put her mind to. This made her a tenacious businesswoman and she gave no less to her friendships. I have a short list of people I refer to as my “will save me a seat friends.” She was exactly that for me. There was no asking her to do it – she just would! She welcomed me into her circle the first time we met and what a work family she kept around her! They say you can tell a lot about a company by the talent they draw in and she hired some of the best I know!” RSTI’s Kim Rowland said. “Her vibrant smile and her positive energy was unavoidable and equally as contagious. There was no project too big and no detail too small. It all mattered to her! The world needs more beautiful Sarah Stem souls! Much love to you and prayers to all of the people you touched!”
Sarah’s obituary is available online at tributearchive.com/obituaries/30771013/sarah-lynne-stem.