The family of a beloved North Shore mother struck and killed by a car at a North Shore café has spoken publicly about their loss for the first time.
Sarah Clark, 44, died on March 11 after a vehicle unexpectedly mounted the kerb and hit her while she was enjoying a morning hot chocolate in the suburb of Forrest Hill. Daughter Hannah and puppy Cosmo were also injured in the incident.
Husband Cameron Clark and sister Lisa Clark described the loss to the NZ Herald as "incalculable".
Cameron remembered her as "beautiful, wise, caring, smart, diligent, and full of faith". He said he got to experience “a richer definition of love” over their 18 years of marriage.
Lisa said Sarah's determination, sense of adventure, and love for her kids were a source of inspiration for her.
A Givealittle page set up by Lisa to support husband Cameron and kids Hannah and Max had raised $20,160 as of Tuesday morning.
"While nothing can ever replace or fill the immense void Sarah leaves behind her, we want to do whatever we can to honour her legacy and give her precious kids all the opportunities she would have wanted for them," the page reads.
"The family is so thankful to everyone for their support and generosity, and has truly felt all the love and prayers during this time."
A legacy of 'depth and character'
Pastor Grant Harris of the Windsor Park Baptist Church, where Clark worked, told 1News earlier in the month she was "someone we're really going to miss".
'A family is changed' - church mourns woman killed in Auckland cafe crash - see more on TVNZ+
He said she was a woman of "depth and character".
Clarke walked away from a successful engineering career, in favour of community work, managing the Lifecare Trust at the church, a service that provides assistance with everything from financial debt to emotional support.
Harris said this transition spoke to her essence.
"She was already thinking about her future and how she could give back. She was a carer.”
Clark was also involved with Christians Against Poverty, a charity that helps people struggling with hardship and debt.
On her commitment to serving others, sister Lisa told the NZ Herald "she was the embodiment of care in action, of love with hands and feet".
Cameron said he stumbled across some of her journals after the funeral, in which she wrote about her love for community.
“I have always valued community, but had tended to be more on the ‘being there for’ and ‘helping others’ side, rather than ‘being vulnerable’ and ‘accepting help from others,’" she wrote in 2011.
“But community is a two-way street, and just as much as there are seasons when we need to be there for others, there are also seasons where we need to let others be there for us and help carry our burdens ... Not only do we celebrate together, but we mourn together too.”
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including police keeping a watch on fuel related crime, and how do you steal 400,000 KitKats? (Source: 1News)
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