Sara James 1941-2022
Sara A. James died unexpectedly in Colorado Springs at the age 81 on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022.
Born in San Francisco, Calif., on Aug. 4, 1941, to Mr. and Mrs. David A. Coleman while her father was in military training, she grew up in Holton, graduating from Holton High School with the class of 1959.
An avid reader and musician, Sara began playing the organ for the Holton Methodist Church at the age of 15 and continued as a church organist for the remainder of her life. She majored in business administration, minored in mathematics and studied the organ during her time at The University of Kansas. Graduating after 3½ years, she began working as an actuarial assistant and computer programmer for Security Benefit Life in Topeka.
She continued as a homemaker and organist until 1978, when she returned to George Mason University to complete her course work to become a certified public accountant, passing all parts of the exam on her first try in 1980, and then began work for small public accounting firms. In the late 1990s she took a nine-month course, Lutheran Program for Musicians, under the guidance of Dr. Austin Lovelace.
Sara joined P.E.O. International, a women’s philanthropical and educational organization, at age 18, and continued her service to the organization in many different chapters as she followed her husband’s career transfers, serving as officer in many chapters and as a state officer in Massachusetts.
She had a strong commitment to women’s education and also supported food programs for the less fortunate. She had also been a long-term member of The American Guild of Organists, serving as a chapter treasurer. She enjoyed choral singing and for a number of years belonged to The Hymn Society, attending a number of its annual conferences with her husband.
Sara liked antiques and for some years has had a small business in them. She had great fun going on antiquing trips with friends and her treasured daughter-in-law, Tina James.
Sara enjoyed traveling, especially European river cruises and visiting cathedrals and European markets. She read widely, particularly enjoying authors Dick Francis and Louise Penny. She was an unselfish, loyal and supportive friend to many and will be dearly missed by family, friends and neighbors.
She is survived by her husband Ivan Charles James II; her sons, Scott Edward James of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Michael David James of Fort Worth, Texas; grandsons Michael Andrew James, Callan Andrew James and Brendon Michael James; and sisters Pat Brown of Dover, Del., and Bette Ross of Salt Lake City, Utah. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Linda Suchman, of Lees Summit, Mo.
Sara had requested that there be no memorial service. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be sent directly to the P.E.O. International (Philanthropic Education Organization) Foundation at donations.peointernational.org
(PAID OBITUARY)
