SARAH KAY HUMPHRIES
passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday May 11th, 2024. She was born in Little Rock, Ark., on September 3rd, 1935, and was preceded in death by her beloved husband of fifty-seven years, and best friend, Dr. William L. Humphries Jr., DDS, MS, of Newport, Ark.
Sarah Kay was also preceded in death by her father, Dr. David Harvey Shipp and mother, Katherine Mann Shipp, as well as her sister Elsie Shipp Crank and her husband, Mallory Westcott Crank. She is survived by her sister, Mary Shipp Schrader (Bruce Schrader) and sons, Harvey Shipp Humphries (Wendy Pirie Humphries), William Morgan Humphries (Robert Lee Urban), Grant Tucker Humphries (Judith Bendinger Humphries), and also Dr. Robert E. Richardson (Jeannie Pirie Richardson), as well as Margaret Osborne. Grandchildren, William L. Humphries III (Kelley McGarity Humphries) Pirie Anne Humphries, Tucker Stone Humphries, Hudson Grant Humphries, and extended family.
Sarah graduated from Little Rock Central High School and attended the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where she was an active member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and graduated with a degree in Education. She then went on to teach third grade elementary education in Memphis, Tenn., where she was also able to watch Elvis Presley in honkytonks as he started his career.
Sarah Kay was a woman of many talents and lived more than a full life. She loved the outdoors, embarking on numerous hunting and fishing trips with her husband Billy all over the United States, Mexico, Canada, and beyond. Being an accomplished snow skier, Sarah’s hunger for travel took her to many of the most renowned ski resorts in the world, including Jackson Hole, Verbier, and Kitzbühel. She was also an accomplished swimmer and diver, placing high enough at a national level meet that an Olympic coach attempted to talk her into staying in California to train with his team.
Sarah was as beautiful as she was athletic. She was a competitive ballet dancer and modeled professionally for several different stores in the state of Arkansas, even appearing in several national magazines. Sarah was also an avid trap shooter and won a mid-south women’s title. Along with her husband Billy, she bred and trained dozens of championship bird dogs that won numerous field trials. One of which, “Volcanic Express,” won the national championship in Grand Junction, Tenn.
She was perhaps best known nationally and internationally for breeding and raising fighting gamecocks, teaming up with Stub Poyner to form the Oklahoma-Arkansas combine, which took roosters to fight from all over the country. Together they won many titles, with Sarah winning the title of “Cocker of the Year” in 2000, 2001, and 2002, while also ending up on the cover of the American Game Fowler Magazine. Additionally, she was a diehard fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Georgia Bulldogs, and her professed boyfriends, Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes. It has been said that she may have even placed an occasional wager from time to time.
Her most cherished role, however, was being the matriarch of a wonderful family for nearly seventy years. In passing away, her greatest gift to her family was bringing them closer together than ever before. She gave all of her sons life, but that was the easy part. Making them feel loved every second for the rest of their days is what truly made her a great mom.
We lost a true legend this weekend. Books and movies could have been written about the chain smoking, scotch drinking, beauty pageant crown holding, shotgun totting, national grand champion bird dog breeder, rooster fighter, gambler, plane crashing, tell you like it is matchmaker, and wonderful, loving soul. Sarah Kay died just short of her 89th birthday.
A celebration of her life will be held at the Butcher Shop at 10825 Hermitage Road on Thursday May 16th, 2024, from 5:307:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Smile Train, Athens Bulldog Swim Club, We Care Animal Rescue, and Hope Lodge. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com.