April 1st 2024.
We are incredibly saddened to share with our readers the news of Sarah Whiteley's passing. Sarah, who was a beloved member of our team here at The Agency, left us all too soon on March 10th at the young age of 39. As a Metro columnist and mother to her two precious children, Theo and Immy, Sarah was a brilliant journalist and a devoted wife to her husband Tom.
Sarah first joined our team as a regular freelancer two years ago, and it wasn't long before she became an integral part of our family. Her warm, lively Geordie voice would fill our Zoom meetings each morning, and her signature greeting of 'hey chick' always brought a smile to our faces. We are all deeply mourning the loss of not only an incredibly talented colleague, but also a dear friend.
Sarah was not only a skilled journalist, but also an avid reader who loved to share book recommendations with us. We were all in awe of her dedication to her daily runs over lunchtime. And whenever anyone was going through a tough time, Sarah was always the first to offer a kind word, a listening ear, and some wise advice.
Aside from her love for reading, Sarah was also passionate about passing on this love to her children. She was a truly genuine and lovely person, and her talent as a journalist and editor was unmatched in our eyes. We all remember how she would say with concern in her voice, "This edit might be tricky, I'll do my best but I'm not sure what I can do." But we soon realized that Sarah possessed a magic touch in everything she did - whether it was commissioning, writing, editing, or conducting phone interviews - she always approached each task with skill, tact, and kindness that we could all admire.
When the news of her untimely passing was announced, we were touched by the outpouring of love and tributes from her colleagues in the industry. Everyone shared fond memories of her infectious energy and incredible talent. Her professionalism, kindness, and special way with people will never be forgotten.
As Sarah once wrote in one of her columns, "Ever since I decided I wanted to be a magazine journalist, I dedicated myself to making that happen." And she did just that. After studying English literature and history at Durham University, she moved back home and worked in a call center while saving up for a journalism course. She also managed to squeeze in work experience at local magazines. Six months later, she found herself in Essex, studying law, shorthand, and design before eventually ending up in London, working for magazines such as Love It!, Reveal, and Best, where she eventually became the Features Editor.
Sarah was overjoyed with this promotion, saying that it "meant the world" to her. She was willing to stay late or give up her weekends for a story, just to see her name published under the features she had written. It was during this time that she met her husband Tom, became Sarah Pearmain, and welcomed their first child, Theo - or 'T' as she lovingly called him.
In one of her many parenting columns for us, Sarah wrote about the immense love she felt for her son, saying, "From the moment he was placed in my arms, I felt that rush of love that everyone gets all misty-eyed when they talk about." Two years later, Sarah and Tom welcomed their daughter Immy, their "cheeky, grinning little girl". Sarah was a proud North East native and moved back to Low Fell to raise her children with the loving support of her parents and sister.
I had the privilege of taking over Sarah's parenting column at Metro when she decided to go freelance. Every Thursday, we would chat about what she wanted to write about that week. Sometimes she would tackle politics or parenting trends, and other times she would share her own experiences and stories. I remember her telling me about the time her children watched Mary Poppins for the first time, and she and Tom had to decide whether to tell them that Mary wasn't real after they fell in love with the fictional nanny. Or the time Immy cooked dinner for the family, or when Theo innocently revealed what they had gotten Immy for her birthday.
Whenever Sarah spoke about her children, her face would light up with joy. She would talk about how caring and loving Theo was, and how proud she was of Immy's independence and confidence. Through our twice-daily Zoom meetings, we could see the love that filled their house. From Tom's laughter in the background to Theo and Immy's adorable appearances, we could see that their family was truly happy.
Sarah often reminisced about her and Tom's trip to Southeast Asia, with one of her favorite memories being when they woke up at 4am to see Angkor Wat in Cambodia. She also wrote about the joy she felt in spoiling Tom at Christmas and the special day dates they would plan every few months. She was an amazing mother, wife, friend, and colleague, and her loss is deeply felt by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.
Sarah is survived by her loving husband Tom, her two children Theo and Immy, her parents, and her sister. Her family has set up a fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Society in her memory, and we encourage our readers to donate if they are able to. Sarah will be dearly missed, but her legacy and impact on those she knew will never be forgotten.
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