Contributed by Walter Weiss

It is with profound sadness that we share of the passing of our colleague and friend, Sara J. Mulroy, PT, PhD, on May 3, 2022. Dr. Mulroy’s contributions to Rancho, our patients and our research legacy cannot be overstated. As a valued member of the Physical Therapy Department at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center since 1986, Dr. Mulroy dedicated her life to the Rancho way: always trying to find ways through her years of clinical service and research to help improve the lives of those around her. She joined the Rancho Physical Therapy Department in 1986 when she began PhD training under Dr. Jacquelin Perry, then followed Dr. Perry as the Director of the Pathokinesiology Lab in 1996. Over the years, Dr. Mulroy’s passion for helping those with disability has been evident through her personal involvement and oversight of much of Rancho’s paradigm-shifting physical therapy research aimed at improving function, participation and quality of life for those living with post-polio syndrome, stroke, amputations, and spinal cord injury. Most recently, Dr. Mulroy was the driving force behind multiple nationally funded research projects, including as the Director of Rancho’s nationally recognized Spinal Cord Injury Model System. Dr. Mulroy was a guiding light in the area of physical rehabilitation, gait analysis and the recovery of walking after injury, and internationally recognized for her expertise and efforts to improve the lives of those with disability. Among the many honors she has received are the MarianWilliams Award for Research in Physical Therapy from the American Physical Therapy Association and the Joseph F. Dowling Distinguished Service Award from Rancho. Most importantly, Dr. Mulroy has been an exceptional friend, colleague and mentor to all those around her. Her light, dedication to helping others, and optimistic spirit will be greatly missed by all of those that knew her. Dr. Mulroy is survived by her husband Kevin, son Kieran, and brother Tom and his family.

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