Sarah Marie Chappell

Obituary For Sarah Marie Chappell

Mrs. Sarah Marie Chappell of Phenix City, AL passed Monday, October 13, 2025.

A celebration of life will be held 12 noon EST, Saturday, October 25, 2025 at Franchise Missionary Baptist Church, Phenix City, AL with Dr. Raymond Cochran, pastor and Dr. Stephen Faulk, officiating. Interment to follow in St. John Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Crawford, AL. Visitation is Friday, October 24, 2025 from 2 - 5 p.m. EST.

On a very hot Thursday, September 8, 1955, EM Luke and Emma Passmore Luke were blessed with a beautiful baby girl who they named Sarah Marie Luke after her beloved aunt, Sarah Love.

The only daughter of EM and Emma, Sarah was raised in a loving Christian home along with her three brothers. At an early age, she accepted Christ as Lord and Savior and was baptized into the Christian fellowship at Greater St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Crawford, Alabama. For a number of years, she was also a faithful servant of Words of Wisdom Christian Center of Columbus, Georgia.

Sarah was a proud 1973 graduate of Beauregard High School in Opelika, Alabama. Life offered Sarah ups and downs, joys and pains, failures and successes, trials and tribulations. The struggles did not make her weaker but stronger. The struggles did not make her bitter but better. She took lemons and made lemonade. Forced to become a single parent, Sarah worked extremely hard to provide for her children. She often worked multiple jobs (Kentucky Fried Chicken, Fieldcrest, Uniroyal, and many other places) to ensure the needs of her family were met.

Sarah was a woman of faith who believed when there was no way, God is a "Way Maker." Sarah became an entrepreneur. She started her own cleaning business where she became a part of a number of families. She also started a party décor company where she provided beautiful creative full-service experiences for all of her events. In the Tri-City area, Sarah was a famous gospel celebration "Mistress of Ceremony." She ensured a good time no matter the occasion. You could find her at any event praising the Lord or "cutting a rug," doing her two-step.

On September 13, 2025, Sarah celebrated her 70th birthday. Family and friends gathered at The Warehouse 9 in Columbus, Georgia to honor and celebrate this phenomenal woman. Sarah felt the love of so many ethnic communities who she had embraced in her lifetime.

On Monday, October 13, 2025, Sarah entered into eternal rest alongside her husband, Willie; son, Vantice; and great-granddaughter, Paradise. She was preceded in death by parents, EM and Emma Passmore Luke; brothers, Eddrick Leon Luke and Eddie Eugene Luke; and a sister, Ethel Jones.

Sarah's precious memories will forever be engraved in the hearts of her children, Rodney Luke, Cornelius (Charlitha) Tolbert, Eddrick Tolbert, Anesha (Chris) Dowsey, and Octavious (Berlyncia) Threatts; three bonus children, Aabia Soomro, Sahir Soomro, and Haaris Soomro; two brothers, Alton Luke, and Azariah (Linda Denise) Luke; grandchildren, Rodney Luke, Jr., Victoria Luke, Alexis Luke, Cornelius Tolbert, Jr., Deonte Williams, Courtney Tolbert, Cornelia Tolbert, Jamaica Williams, Mariah Tolbert, Amirah Tolbert, and Khrysiona Dowsey; one aunt, Carrie Lee Luke; nine great-grandchildren; cousin-sister, Janice "Faye" (Gregory) Palmer-Wright; her Indian and Pakistani Families; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other family members, and friends.