A Fierce Advocate, A Lasting Legacy

Sharon Sedlar | August 26, 2026

Here at PaFEC – We are advocates. We are community. We are family. And one of ours is no longer with us.

I remember first meeting Tabby and Jim Malliard in a park near their home. They were telling me their children’s school choice story as we ate sandwiches from a nearby shop. The two-plus hours went by quickly. Tabby was engaging, passionate, and rattled off medical jargon like no one I’ve ever met.

You see, having children with complex medical needs taught Tabby and Jim how to fight early – and that fight moved into the K-12 space. And then other children and families started to benefit, because it wasn’t Tabby’s personality to stop once she was satisfied for herself. She had to make sure others felt that hope, too.

Every time I spoke with Tabby, her intentions were clear: she lovingly and fiercely wanted to help and protect other families and children in need. Tabby had an extremely strong moral compass, and she used her intelligence and determination to find answers and challenge the educational norm.

We are heartbroken to have lost such an amazingly fierce family and student advocate, and our hearts go out to Bella, Skylar, and Jim as they mourn the loss of their wife and mother.

Tabby’s legacy will live on in her husband, her children, and in the thousands of lives she impacted – the families who could finally breathe a sigh of relief, and the children who were saved.

Rest well, Tabby. We miss you.