Sarah Gelotte Peters of Vineyard Haven died on Oct. 12 at the Boston Medical Center surrounded and cared for by her loving family. A sudden illness took her too soon at age 53.

Sarah leaves behind her devoted husband John Peters; her mother Helen (Viera) Gelotte, also of Vineyard Haven; her brother Mark of Hatfield; and brother and sister in law Matt and Liz of Wellesley, as well as many other extended family members. She was preceded in death by her father Robert Gelotte, her maternal grandparents, Manual and Sarah (Arruda) Viera, and her paternal grandparents Claus and Mabel (Goldstein) Gelotte. Sarah also leaves behind her companion dog Mika, a German shepherd with whom she enjoyed countless hours.

Sarah and John were married in 1984 and have lived since then in Vineyard Haven. Sarah loved spending time with her family, the Gelottes and Peters. She was often visited by her mother and her brothers, their wives and their children. She hosted many family dinners in her home and these were a source of happy memories and were always joyful, laugh-filled gatherings.

She enjoyed gardening in the summer months in her backyard and often took pride in delivering delicious tomatoes to her family. Sarah loved the ocean and being in or near the water. She spent some of her most memorable moments on the water, whether it was pulling lobster traps or a scallop drag, digging quahaugs or steamers, or just sitting on South Beach and enjoying the sky and sea.

Sarah’s care for animals was important and constant throughout her life, and she provided a home for six dogs over the past 30 years, as well as an African grey parrot. As a young child, Sarah attended the St. Pierre School summer camp at the old marine hospital in Vineyard Haven, where she met some of her closest friends to this day, who deeply miss her.

She is a graduate of Lasell College in Newton and Simmons College in Boston. Most recently she was the branch manager at the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank in West Tisbury, where she had worked for more than 15 years. It was her caring coworkers who assisted her when she first took ill on her last day at the bank.

Sarah’s kindness, sense of humor and gentle, upbeat manner in the face of any situation will be remembered, as will her devotion to her husband and mother. A memorial gathering for close family and friends was recently held and an interment service will be private.