Sara Ann McDaniel's Obituary
Sara McDaniel moved on from this temporary home on March 13 while in the loving care of Haven Hospice. At the time of her death, she was surrounded by friends who were holding her hand and singing to her. Sara was born in Clarksburg West Virginia on March 17,1950, to Carl and Lenore McDaniel. She grew up in Anmoore West VA and graduated from Bridgeport High School in 1968. Sara graduated in 1972 from West Virginia University Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Sociology and Psychology. Soon after she moved to Gainesville FL and began her career as a social worker at the Division of Family Services in 1973. Sara eventually transferred to the North FL Evaluation and Treatment Center where she retired from in June of 2011 after many years of service to the disadvantaged and mentally ill. Sara was very dedicated to those she served and was highly respected by her colleagues.
She is survived by her sister Patty Johnson (Harry), her nephew Carl Johnson (Jeanne), and her beloved dog Biscuit. Sara was very passionate about her beloved adopted pets.
In her younger years Sara enjoyed playing city league softball and basketball but her favorite pastime was paddling the many rivers of Florida, West Va and other locations. She was an avid Gator fan and listened to Gator Sports talk shows every day. She was our grill master during our great and not so great football years. She loved attending the Gator softball games with friends right up to her last year of life. Sara also was a lover of any kind of game and was super competitive at Yahtzee, Poker and Rummikub. She was determined to complete the Gainesville Sun Crossword Puzzle daily. She walked every day without fail until she was no longer able to due to lung cancer and COPD.
Sara will be missed by many friends and family who always enjoyed her quick-witted humor. In her last few years, she was surrounded by and cared for by her strong circle of women, Including Brenda, Jill, Tina, Janet, Julia, Eyirama, Edris, Maggie, Deana and Yesenia.
A celebration of Sara’s life will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Williams-Thomas Funeral Home Westarea, 823 N.W. 143rd St. Newberry, FL. In lieu of flowers Sara asked that you consider donating to the Alachua County Humane Society, https://www.humanesocietyncfl.org/.
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