Sarah Palin’s Mom Sally Dies, Bristol Pays Tribute

The Palin family is in mourning after Sarah Palin‘s mother, Sarah “Sally” Heath, died. Heath passed away Tuesday at the age of 80, with her granddaughter and Palin’s daughter, Bristol Palin, sharing the heartbreaking news in an emotional tribute shared with her more than 500,000 Instagram followers.

Announcing her grandmother’s death, Bristol shared a gallery containing two images, one of her tightly gripping her grandmother’s hand with a rosary and a second showing an underlined scripture passage. She said, “Heaven gained an angel yesterday as our dearest grandma sal passed away peacefully, and surrounded by her loved ones.” Bristol described Heath as a woman “overflowing with grace” who was “the most selfless, wholesome part of life.” She said, “We will forever be grateful for everything that she has instilled in our family and those around her.” Along with the post, Bristol also shared several images of her grandmother to her Instagram Story.

At this time, Heath’s cause of death has not been revealed. Palin’s mother, just several days earlier, had requested prayers from her Instagram followers. Sharing a gallery of family photos, the former Alaska governor wrote, “Prayers for our beautiful mama, please. Strength. Peace.” She said her mother’s “extraordinary faith has always endured,” adding, “Our aim is to live up to who she is and what she represents. She is our queen… our beautiful heroic queen.”

The gallery of images documented “60 years of bliss,” which were filled with “28 kids/grandkids/great-grandkids.” It included photos dated as recently as Christmas 2020 and an image celebrating Heath as a “marathon running mama.” The gallery also included a throwback image to what appeared to be Heath’s wedding day.

Palin’s other daughter, Willow Palin, also paid tribute to Heath, in a post writing, “Grandma went to be with the Lord peacefully surrounded by lots of love…. The most selfless, kind hearted, beautiful person inside and out. We love you so much and will miss you more than you can imagine… we lost a good one.” Followers were quick to send their condolences, with one person commenting on Bristol’s post, “I’m so Sorry for your loss. Praying for You and your Family.” A second person added, “my deepest sympathies.”