Sarah E. Cleary

Beloved daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend Sarah Elizabeth Cleary, 53, of Hingham, Massachusetts, passed away on April 24, 2025, at South Shore Hospital after a short illness.

Sarah was born in Tampa, Florida on October 8, 1971. She later moved to Hingham with her family and attended Hingham High School. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Boston with a Culinary Arts Degree.

While working at Harvard, she became involved in Unite Here Local 26 and was the strike leader in October of 2016, protesting for better wages and healthcare. She led a civil disobedience action and was proudly arrested. It was the first time the local union had gone on strike in more than eight decades and they won the contracts. Because of her success, she was asked to lead a strike on Marriott Hotels in 2018. The strike went on for 46 days, at the end of which Marriott conceded on wages and healthcare once again.

Sarah was an avid animal lover, loved books, reading, Shakespeare, travel, wine, a good joke and she loved to cook delicious meals for her family and friends.

For the past years she took devoted care of her parents, James, and Sandra (deceased July 7, 2024).

She is survived by her father, James E. Cleary, of Hingham, brother, Jason W. Cleary of Somerville, and her two cats, Loki and Fjorgyn.

A celebration of life service will take place on September 27, 2025.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the MSPCA.