Rosa Lee Ireland Sarachek

Rosa Lee Sarachek, a devoted philanthropist and longtime supporter of the Wichita community, passed away at Ascension Via Christi on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, following injuries sustained in a fall at her home.

Rosa Lee was born June 6, 1942, in El Dorado, Kansas, to John M. Ireland and Rosa E. (Holt) Ireland. She and her sister, Mary Ann, grew up in Leon, Kansas, where Rosa Lee developed a lifelong love of gardening. As a girl, she enjoyed playing in the dirt, helping in the garden and canning vegetables with her family. Mary Ann fondly remembers the year the sisters ran out of quart jars and began using pint jars instead—prompting their mother to finally declare that they had done enough canning.

Rosa Lee earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Wichita State University. She later worked at the university as a student counselor before becoming a medical technologist at St. Francis Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital.

Throughout their lives, Rosa Lee and her beloved husband, Dr. Alvin Sarachek, were known for their extraordinary generosity, quiet compassion and steadfast commitment to improving the lives of others. Together, they were dedicated benefactors of numerous charitable, educational and cultural institutions, including Botanica, PBS Kansas, the Wichita Art Museum, Wichita State University, Kansas State University and the Hereditary Neurological Disease Centre, as well as many other organizations they supported quietly and without recognition.

Rosa Lee and Alvin believed deeply in the power of education, culture, scientific research and community engagement to enrich lives and build a stronger society. Their generosity strengthened organizations throughout the community and helped create opportunities that will benefit future generations.

Beyond her community involvement, Rosa Lee treasured the time she spent with her sister, Mary Ann. The two shared many adventures over the years, including a two-year commitment to Sweet Adelines, where they indulged their mutual love of singing before deciding, with good humor, that it had become a full-time job.

The sisters also loved to shop and occasionally discovered that their tastes were so similar they had purchased the exact same outfit. Because they lived near one another, Rosa Lee often visited Mary Ann’s home, where she happily supervised the planting of flowers—and sometimes even purchased the seeds for Mary Ann to plant. Mary Ann would simply smile and say, “Bless her heart.”

Rosa Lee was preceded in death by her parents, John M. Ireland and Rosa E. (Holt) Ireland, and by her beloved husband, Dr. Alvin Sarachek. She is survived by her sister, Mary Ann Ireland, and Mary Ann’s husband, Mike Hafer, as well as countless friends with whom she shared many happy hours and cherished memories.

Services will be held Monday, July 20, 2026, at Old Mission Mausoleum Chapel, 3424 E. 21st Street in Wichita. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m., with the funeral service to follow at 11 a.m.

A memorial has been established with the Hereditary Neurological Disease Centre, 9300 E. 29th Street North, Suite 350, Wichita, Kansas 67226.