Sara Mitchener Allison, of Portland and Bellevue, passed away Monday, September 13. For all the family and friends that knew and loved her, the enduring memory of Sara will be her non-stop smile and infectious laughter.
Sara was born in 1936 to parents William and Esther Mitchener. She and her older brother Bill were inseparable as they grew-up in Peoria, IL, competing together in swimming, horse riding and earning national recognition racing model airplanes. The family spent summers in the mountains of Colorado and Sara went to Camp Cheley near Rocky Mountain National Park, first as a young camper and returning later as a counselor.
At the University of Illinois, Sara distinguished herself academically and in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, eventually becoming President of the University’s Panhellenic Society. There she met Bob Allison of Summit, IL and the two were married on the day of her graduation in 1958.
In 1962, they moved to the US Army base in Augsburg, Germany with young daughter Kathryn in tow and son Bob on the way. For two years, the family travelled Europe every chance they had and developed a life-long love of hiking and skiing. A close friend on the base told wonderful stories of the Pacific Northwest and encouraged them to consider relocating. Upon returning to the States, the family moved to Portland where son John was born and never looked back.
Sara’s career was diverse and rich. She was a high school French teacher, an architectural drafter, an accountant, a human resources executive and a real estate agent. Sara earned an MBA from Portland State University. She readily volunteered her time for good causes throughout Portland. She was President of the Lincoln High School PTA and served on the Board of the Multnomah Athletic Club.
Her friends knew Sara for her wild decorating ideas and her constant readiness to embark on another adventure, whether it was a hike up Dog Mountain, a weekend in New York or exploring the wine country of France. Together, they had parties that could go all night and tennis games in Sunriver that could last a week.
Sara is survived by her three children, Kathryn (Jim) Anderson of Kirkland, Bob Allison of Denver and John (Kathy) Allison of Sammamish, as well as her grandchildren Caitlyn, Ryan, Ashley, Nicole and Dylan and great-grandchildren Jaeda and Jordyn.
In lieu of flowers or a service, the family asks that friends consider leaving a memory, story or photo in the message section below.
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