Sally W. Owen passed away on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at University Medical Center.  She was 70.

Sally was born in Vicksburg, MS on March 1, 1953, the daughter of James L. Waring and Ida Prewitt Waring.  Sally planted many seeds of love, encouragement, and kindness with those she shared her life: her hundreds of elementary students and her co-workers during her 37 years of teaching, her church friends and faithful altar guild team, her aerobic students, and her acquaintances and long-term friends.

Her family will especially miss her presence in their lives. She was a loving, devoted wife to her childhood sweetheart Johnny, a bond of over 55 years, and an exceptionally wonderful, loving mother to Sarah. Her sweet care for her parents in their waning years was a picture of devotion. She was a thoughtful, generous, kind sister, aunt, and great-aunt. We will especially miss the joyful, heartfelt exclamations that were always heard when her grandchildren and great nieces and nephews saw her and shouted, “Sa-Sa!” which followed with huge hugs.

We believed as Sally entered heaven on March 29th, Jesus with open arms said, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Sally is survived by her husband Johnny Owen; her daughter Sarah Owen Wilbanks (Mark); brothers Larry Waring (Nancy), Tom Waring (Edie) and Andy Waring (Kathy); sister Betsy Harbaugh; grandchildren John Harrison Wilbanks, Owen Wilbanks and Katherine Wilbanks and numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Holy Trinity at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Visitation will be from noon until the hour of the service.

Memorials may be made to the YMCA or the Church of the Holy Trinity.