Sarah Jane (VanAntwerp) Doncaster, born November 5, 1955 in Akron, OH, passed away Wednesday, May 2 at home with her husband and daughter by her side.
Sarah attended Cuyahoga Falls High School and was a member of the marching band. She graduated from Kent State University with a B.A. in Home Economics, where she was a sister of Chi Omega. Sarah started her career teaching at Copley Middle School and transitioned to the trucking industry with Carolina Freight, progressing to National Sales Manager with Watkins and Worldwide Account Manager at FedEx. Sarah was a longstanding member of Faith Lutheran Church.
Sarah gracefully balanced a successful career with a fulfilling social life while remaining a rock and source of love for her family. Sarah was an avid reader and had a love of literature. She was a member of the First Tuesday Book Club with a close-knit circle of dear friends. Sarah loved connecting with her friends and valued the relationships she built. She also treasured good times spent with her parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Sarah loved to travel and cherished adventures with her family. She enjoyed sight-seeing, hiking national parks, visiting the Chestertown, Maryland area and taking annual "girls' trips" with her daughter, Laura. Throughout the years, Sarah and her husband, Rich, pursued their shared love of boating.
Sarah was a warm, kind, genuine and welcoming individual with an infectious personality.
She shined in all aspects of her life, but her most significant accomplishment was the loving and happy home she created with her husband and daughter.
She will be remembered and profoundly missed by her husband of 37 years, Richard M. Doncaster Jr.; her daughter, Laura Doncaster; her mother, Milora VanAntwerp; siblings Elizabeth Brillhart and Robert VanAntwerp (Ursula); nieces and nephews, Heather Oakes (Brian), Jennifer Kinnen (Kelly), Holly Schoenstein (Shawn Turner), Kara Jackowski, Ashley Brillhart (Chris Balint), John VanAntwerp, Emily VanAntwerp and Jonathan Brillhart; and seven great nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her father, John VanAntwerp; her sister, Susan Schoenstein; and her mother and father-in-law, Richard and Jeanne Doncaster.
There will be a receiving line at 10 a.m. and a memorial service at 11 a.m. on May 19 at Faith Lutheran Church, 2726 W. Market St., Akron, OH, with food and refreshments to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Foundation, 3610 W. Market St., Akron, OH 44333. (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)
Receiving Line
MAY 19. 10:00 AM
Faith Lutheran Church
2726 West Market St.
Akron, OH
Memorial Service
MAY 19. 11:00 AM
Faith Lutheran Church
2726 West Market St.
Akron, OH