By 
STRABANE woman Sarah Harrison (née Morrison), who was crowned Lorraine Kelly’s Woman of the Year 2025 live on national television last month, has sadly passed away.
Mrs Harrison, who lived in the North East of England with her husband Chris and children Alice and Charlie, received the prestigious accolade for her tireless charity work with ‘Sarah’s Star’, a charity she founded.
Sarah’s Star was born out of Mrs Harrison’s own personal journey after she was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer in 2019.
Instead of retreating, she turned her experience into a mission to help others, building a compassionate community that today offers holistic therapies, bereavement counselling, and safe spaces for healing and reflection.
Sadly, the news of the Strabane lady’s passing was released today on the charity social media page. Mrs Harrison died on Tuesday.
In a poignant tribute, a spokesperson for Sarah’s Star described the organisation’s founder as a “brave and strong” person who built the charity with “pure love.”
The statement read, “Sarah was adored by so many.
“She had a unique gift for lighting up every single room she entered, with her kindness, her warmth, her humour, and her unwavering positivity.
“She always had a comforting word, a hug ready, or a witty comment that could make you smile, even on the hardest days.
“She was brave and strong, and she was determined to create a lasting legacy, something that would bring comfort, connection, and hope to others facing incurable illness, so they would never feel alone.”
The statement continued, “Sarah built Sarah’s Star from a place of pure love, pouring her heart into supporting others and nurturing a community that meant the world to her. And that community – all of you – meant so much to Sarah. She was so proud of the world you created together, of the atmosphere, the friendships, and the hope that came to life.
“Sarah was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by her family, her friends, and every single person whose life she touched and inspired.”
Although Mrs Harrison was based in England, she never lost touch with her Strabane roots. Last November, she brought her inspiring ‘death café’ concept to the Alley Theatre, creating an open and welcoming space for people affected by terminal illness to talk freely about death, dying, and living well in the time they have.
Through her ‘Living Matters’ podcast and in-person cafés, Mrs Harrison encouraged open, healing conversations on both sides of the Irish Sea.
