Obituary: Sarah Ann Cummings

Sarah Ann Cummings
Oct. 2, 1937~Sept. 27, 2017

Sarah Ann Cummings, 79, formerly of Meeker, Colo., passed away peacefully Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, at the Palisades Living Center.

She was born Oct. 2, 1937, in Jacksonville, Fla., to the late Robert and Dorothy (Askew) Cummings, and grew up in several different cities across Florida. During her childhood, she developed a liking for drawing on her kitchen easel and a love of nature with its “critters” of all shapes and sizes.
Sarah earned an associate’s degree in fashion illustration from the Ray-Vogue School in Chicago in 1957, followed by an associate’s degree in art from the nearby American Academy of Art in 1959. After working as a keyliner for five years, she focused her time on being a homemaker and raising her three children in the Chicago suburbs. She still found time to continue her passion as a lifelong learner and “artist-in-residence,” seeking out new inspiration and creative forms of expression with several different media, particularly photography, pottery, ceramics, charcoal and pastel. Over the years, she received many awards and recognition for her entries in juried exhibitions, and maintained a sketch diary until age 71.
Sarah reentered the workforce in 1984 as a freelance artist and then as art director for a monthly manufacturing publication. She boldly returned to the academic setting in her late 50s and earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1995. Sarah then helped prospective artists further their education by teaching graphic design and anatomy courses at her alma mater for a year.
She subsequently helped select and assemble custom picture frames for patrons at a retail chain for several years. After a brief period working at the Hillgloss Art Gallery in Chicago, she retired and moved out west to Meeker to be near family.
Sarah was a devoted mother and grandmother who enjoyed corresponding and spending time with her friends, family and faithful dog, Sadie. Her long list of hobbies included gardening, cooking, writing poetry, reading, visiting art galleries, playing tennis, sewing, watching old movies and taking her dog on long walks in the park or along the beach. She was a perpetual optimist, with a generous heart filled with kindness and gratitude. Over the years, she instilled in her family an appreciation for art and nature, the importance of good nutrition, and a drive for creative expression.
She will be dearly missed by her three children: Eric of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Stephanie Kobald and Vanessa (Ryan) Trout, both of Meeker; her five cherished grandchildren: Joshua and Natalie Hanson, Shane and Allison Kobald, and Alexandria Trout; and dear friend Joanne White of Port St. Lucie, Fla.
There will be no funeral. She has donated her body to the Colorado Mesa University for medical research after which the remains will be cremated. A granite block will be engraved in her honor at the Highland Memorial Garden in Meeker. In lieu of flowers, donations in Sarah’s name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org. To share your fondest memories of Sarah, visit www.callahan-edfast.com/obituaries/