Jill Sava
1977 – 2025
Family and friends of Jill Meredith Sava of East Windsor New Jersey are heartbroken to announce her passing on February 4, 2025 at the age of forty-eight after battling several years with chronic illness.
Jill graduated college with a Bachelor’s in Jewish Studies with honors from Rutgers College and continued for a Masters in Jewish Communal Service from Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She worked for many years at several JCC’s and Synagogues as the Director of Early Childhood Education, Camp Director and Program Director.
She loved not only working with children but found great pride in helping her local Jewish communities flourish.
Sadly, eleven years ago Jill developed a debilitating illness, causing her to move home and give up on her dream career. When most people would have given up, she fought. She looked around her small room, acknowledged that she was bedridden and said, Well, what can I do here? I have a laptop, love reading, am creative and a new dream was born.
Jill would go on to spend the next eleven years of her life within the romance book community helping countless authors, bloggers, editors, publicists, and indie authors achieve their dreams.
She didn’t take her diagnosis sitting down, she rose up and fought. She is the epitome of what we should all do when facing darkness—fight to see the light. She found joy in designing covers, editing, formatting, marketing, and the most beautiful part of her newfound career was that she knew she had to sit—so others could run and she cheered each and every one of the people she worked with on, until she quite literally could no longer speak. She would engage in conversations where she had to mute her zoom calls because a nurse was attending to her, and yet she never stopped working. She never stopped fighting. She will always be remembered as someone who fought until the last breath of air left her lungs.
Jill advocated for others and started an incredible group on Facebook for those also dealing with Chronic illness—her legacy will never be forgotten, it shines brighter than her smile.
She is survived by her parents, Adrienne and Jerry Sava, three brothers, Bob Sava (Marcia), Matt Sava (Ali), Mike Sava (Becki), three sisters, Sandy Panitch (Gary), Wendi Scicluna (Keith Germaine), Robin Smolarz (Gabriel) 12 nieces and nephews and two great nephews who will miss her greatly.
Jill was a fierce leader, a fighter and a survivor. She was a real Woman of Valor.
Memorial contributions can be made to The Gastroparesis Patient Association or the Mast Cell Disease Society.
Funeral services and burial were held February 7, 2025 at Wellwood Cemetery, West Babylon, NY.
Funeral arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel. For condolences please visit OrlandsMemorialChapel.com/Jill-Sava
I knew Jill for several years through Author Rachel Van Dyken and through the Facebook group she made for chronic illnesses. I am so sorry for her passing and pray for comforting peace for her family for the hours and days to come.
I am so deeply sorry for your loss. Jill was an incredible spirit. Full of life and joy. She was such an asset to our JCC in Allentown. I think of her often. Sending love and support to the entire family.
Jill was such an amazing soul the book world is going to miss her so much
I got to know Jill through her commitment to writing communities.
She was an amazing person, who achieved amazing things refusing to be sidelined with chronic illness!
I live in South Australia – so please know that Jill’s presence was felt around the globe – literally.
May you now be pain free Jill.
I knew both Jill and her sister Robin as I was a member of Carousel Club which is a recreational program for those with disabilities that was started by the JCC of the Delaware Valley in conjunction with Mercer County now a program of The Arc Mercer and Jill was very nice to all of the members of Carousel including myself. She will be sadly missed and Jill my former girlfriend Tammy A. moved in 2009 to North Carolina.
My deepest condolences to the family and friends of a brave woman, who made her life count in adversity.
Sorry for your loss 🙏 sending lots of love from Ireland
So sad. As we say in the UK to all her family, “ I wish you long life”. Shalom
My heart goes out to her family. She sounds like a wonderful, loving and incredible person. My prayers and thoughts are with you at this time.
My love to her family. I did not know her but she sounds like a wonderful and amazing person. Most of us know how it feels to lose someone we love, but those we love remains with us, for love itself lives on. And cherished memories never fade because a loved one is gone. They will be with us forever in our hearts. Shalom.
I was a member of the book community for some time and had interacted with Jill in relation to books but it wasn’t until I was diagnosed with gastroparesis that I became aware of her conditions. I was afraid and felt alone with a scary diagnosis that changed my life drastically and that was difficult for my loved ones to understand. Finding someone within the community I was already a part of who understood, who was kind, unbelievably strong, and who had made major adjustments to their life that resulted in being as busy and purposeful in chronic illness as they had been previously was an unbelievable inspiration to me. Over the last couple of years I have not been able to be online as much as I could before, but I always knew Jill and the group she had made for others with chronic illness was there for me if I needed them. I hope it is a comfort to Jill’s family to know just how far and wide Jill made an impact, and how deeply her loss is felt. My thoughts are with you, thank you for sharing Jill with us.
Jill was such a wonderful person. When my daughter was in Israel last year she offered me support and someone to listen to my worries even though she didn’t really know me as we met through the book world. I’m grateful for her kindness and wish her family my deepest sympathies. May her neshama have an Aliyah. Jill you are loved and always will be. May you be pain free and your memory always be a blessing.
My deepest condolences to her family and friends at this time of loss. May you find the strength to move on and always remember her. May her soul rest in peace
Our hearts go out to you and your family
Jill was a very special person and we are so saddened by her passing. It’s a joy to remember all the wonderful times our families shared.Memories are forever .
Memories are forever