Kym Dyanne Sargent

Memorial service for Kym Dyanne Sargent will be Thursday, February 25, 2016, 2:00 p.m., at E.A.R.T.H. Park in Hartselle, AL. She passed away on February 21, 2016, at her home in Trinity, AL following a long battle with heart disease. Kym was born in Meadville, PA on January 14, 1950, to Georgia and Cecil Sargent. Kym was a graduate of Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA. She worked in various capacities over the years, including as a Tool & Die Operator/Machinist for Joy Manufacturing in Franklin, PA, an EKG Technician at Hamot Hospital in Erie, PA, an Insurance Saleswoman for the northwest Pennsylvania area, and as a single mother to her son, Nicholas. In Huntsville, AL, she was the beloved nanny for Kelsey Yates, daughter of Dr. Michael and Karen Yates. Most recently, she worked in rocket manufacturing for United Launch Alliance in Decatur, AL, retiring in 2015. Kym was a woman of many talents, and she was an exceptional artist. She loved to paint on slate and work with stained glass, and she was known for her beautiful stylized realism. However, her greatest passion was for her animal rescue work. Due to Kym's tireless efforts and advocacy, countless lives were saved from suffering and abuse. At the time of her death, Kym was actively involved in making animal rescue runs for dogs being transported from shelters in Texas to adoption centers in Toronto, Canada. She was the primary driver for the Decatur, AL to Nashville, TN leg of their journey. Kym took in and personally fostered many abandoned senior and special needs dogs herself to insure that their final days were spent in a loving home. She was also an active participant in the online animal rescue community, including the Friends of Barbaro forum, where Kym was involved in the rescuing of many horses and dogs throughout the United States. She is survived by her son, Nicholas Kucharski, and his wife, Cambra. She has one grandson, Connor. Also surviving are her sister, Georgia Mastro of Huntsville, AL, and two brothers, Thomas Sargent of Erie, PA, and Timothy Stevenson of Meadville, PA. Preceding her in death was her husband, Troy Norman Elshelman. She also leaves behind 10 beloved dogs and a cat, as well as a large community of fellow animal rescuers and dear friends. Donations in Kym's memory may be made to one of her favorite animal rescue organizations: TRACK MY PAWS, 1501 10th Avenue, S.E., Decatur, AL 35601; MORGAN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 1314 Industrial Drive, Hartselle, AL 35640; HOMELESS ANIMALS IN LAWRENCE COUNTY at Changing42Rescue@yahoo.com; RESCUE RANGERS, 1210 15th Avenue., S.E., Decatur, AL 35601 (rescue.rangers.decatur.al@hotmail.com); and PEACE, LOVE, and ANIMALS, 19135 Nuclear Power Plant Road, Tanner, AL 35671.

Kym Dyanne Sargent

January 14, 1950 - February 21, 2016