ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO. - St. Charles County Ambulance District Lieutenant Sarah McCarthy, a 23-year veteran of emergency medical services, died Dec. 9, 2025, following complications from a medical emergency while on duty at Station 12 in St. Peters.
McCarthy, 48, first experienced chest pain on Nov. 21, 2025, and was transported by colleagues to Missouri Baptist Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery. After a setback in her recovery on Dec. 4, 2025, she was transferred to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. She died peacefully with family by her side.
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As a final act of service, McCarthy donated her organs through Mid America Transplant.
McCarthy joined the St. Charles County Ambulance District (SCCAD) in 2002 and was promoted to lieutenant in 2016. In that leadership role, she provided training and mentorship to paramedics. She was also active in the District’s Honor Guard and the STARS team, which supports special needs pediatric patients and their families.
“To briefly encapsulate Sarah’s contributions to the District and our community is impossible – she was a fierce advocate willing to undertake any action necessary for an individual in need,” said SCCAD Chief Skip Stephens. “Her dedication to patients – particularly our STARS families – was unwavering, and an example that we can all hope to strive for.”
Since 2016, McCarthy has received multiple SCCAD Awards of Excellence for Patient-Centric Care, Patient Advocacy and Community Service, reflecting the District’s values of dedication, compassion, accountability and integrity.
Sarah is survived by her husband, Chris McCarthy; daughters Elise and Claire; her parents, Bill (Julie) Chmelir and Dedie (Steve) Baker; siblings Jenny (Matt) Voelker and Brian Chmelir; and nieces and nephews.
Raised in Warson Woods, McCarthy graduated from St. Joseph Academy in 1995. She studied at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and St. Louis Community College, earning her paramedic license in 2001.
Before joining SCCAD, she worked as a police dispatcher for Glendale, Kirkwood, and Creve Coeur, and served as a reserve firefighter with the Eureka Fire Protection District from 1999 to 2004.
Services will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m. at The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, 4431 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, followed by interment at Bellerive Gardens, 740 N. Mason Rd, St. Louis.
Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road, Ballwin.
Contributions may be made to The Backstoppers or Supporting Heroes. Friends may sign the family’s online guestbook at Schrader.com.
