Sarah Holden McLaren

Sarah brought joy to the lives she touched and remained a beacon of love, strength, humor, and compassion throughout her time with us. Born on February 9, 1945, to Claire Daney Holden and Arthur S. Holden Jr., Sarah attended Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University in 1968.

Sarah lived her life in service to others. She began her professional life as a counselor at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio. She dedicated countless hours to volunteer service especially Meals on Wheels and Hospice. She met her husband, Everett G. McLaren Jr. while they were both working as counselors for the Virginia Department of Corrections working with incarcerated youth. The couple were married in 1975 at the Chautauqua Institution in New York by the lake Sarah loved her whole life.

Sarah was a devoted wife sister, mother, grandmother, and friend known for her kindness, her love of dogs, and a talent for poetry. She was a proud third generation Chautauquan. A lover of warm sunny weather, Sarah will remembered by those who knew her for her loving and generous spirit, her passion for classic movies, anything with chocolate, and the Beatles.

Sarah is survived by her husband of 49 years, Everett, her sister, Constance Holden Somers and her son Andrew Keene, and her two children, her son Christopher (Kolleen McLaren), her daughter Ellen, and her three grandchildren, Samantha, Ciaran, and Callum. She will be remembered as a loving aunt to many nieces and nephews.

A gathering of friends and family will be held at a later date by the lake at the couple’s home in Crozier, Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to your local foodbank or Bon Secours Hospice.