Sara “Sally” C. Sabol (Little)
Sara Catherine Sabol (nee Little) was born in Sheraden on March 18, 1933. She passed away on August 14, 2021. Her mother, Sarah (Arbuckle) Little passed before Sally turned one year old. Her father John Little, her loving aunt, Mary E. (known as Nanny or Marie) Little and her grandmother, Catherine Hamill raised her. Sally graduated from Elizabeth Seton High School in 1951.
In 1953, Sally and John O. Sabol, Sr. married and had a large family. They welcomed their seven children and their spouses, John (Kim Koenig) Sabol Jr., Kathleen (David, deceased) Secunda, Carolyn (Gerry Kirschner, deceased) Sabol, Thomas (Emilie Fordley) Sabol, Ralph (Justine Kochan) Sabol, Donald, deceased (Kathy Coleman) Sabol and Teresa (Michael) Sabol Spezio into their home. All seven of her children went on to become first generation college graduates.
During her children’s childhoods, the family gathered every evening for dinner. The kitchen table became the gathering place where the family talked about their day and laughed and laughed. The family celebrated their birthdays with the layer cake of their choice baked by Mom. Sally was known as a great baker which she got from her grandmother. Every Christmas, she made thousands of sugar cookies along with fudge and thumbprints (for Tom). She made sure ALL of her children knew how to cook and bake before they left for college. Her cinnamon bread is made faithfully by her children and grandchildren to this day.
Sally had eleven grandchildren, John III (Samantha Tornblum), Ken (Elizabeth Lester) Kirschner, Aaron (Maureen O’Malley) Kirschner, Claire, Catherine, Zach, Jake, Samantha, Paul (Laura Wheeler), David (Kaitlin Tucker), Amy (JT) Gora and three great grandchildren, Calleigh Kirschner, Talia Kirschner, and Benjamin Sabol
John and Sally did not have much money in the early days of their marriage but they still provided many adventures for their children. Almost every weekend of every summer, they would load their seven children into their station wagon and take them on a trip within a two-hour drive from their home. During the trips, everyone sang songs in the car and played word games. Sally would pack the big pink cooler with salads and cookies for a picnic. Some of her children’s personal favorites are Ohiopyle and Moraine State Parks in Pennsylvania and Cooper’s Rock State Park in West Virginia. Also, Aunt Betty and Uncle Roy’s cabin in Marienville was a much-loved place for summer fun for their older children. They did make a few longer trips to Niagara Falls and Rice Lake in Ontario.
Sally was one of the most loving persons. She welcomed many neighbors and friends into their home. Communion and high school graduation parties were seminal events. Sally with her children around her would make potato salad, fruit salad, stuffed cabbage and other party foods while her husband, John would grill hot dogs and hamburgers for the guests. Sally always welcomed her children’s friends into her home. If they had a friend who needed a place to stay in Pittsburgh for a job interview or a visit, their friends were welcomed with a home-cooked meal and a freshly made bed. Her son John’s best friend, Father Pierre (Bud) Falkenhan became an official Sabol. He attended most of the bi-annual family reunions and officiated at almost every single wedding of her children. Later in life she was able to travel to Hawaii and to Ireland, Scotland and England with her husband John.
Sally used her accounting acumen as a service to her beloved Holy Innocents Parish where her family was a founding family in 1900. Besides attending mass every Sunday (and every day after she retired) until the Diocese of Pittsburgh decided to close the parish in 2016, she was a member of the Parish Council, Finance Council and Christian Mothers for decades. She co-ran the Thursday night bingo in the high school gym for decades. She became the first woman lector at the church in the 1970s. Sally was thrilled that the Holy Innocents buildings are being transformed into the Jasmine Nyree Campus and the gym where bingo was played is named after Jerome Bettis. Holy Innocents was the heart of her community and she hoped that the campus will once more be the heart of Sheraden.
Visitation will be at the William F. Conroy Funeral Home, Inc. 2944 Chartiers Ave., Sheraden on FRIDAY from 2:00 – 4:00pm and 6:00 – 8:00pm. Funeral mass 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Margaret of Scotland Church of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish, Greentree.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Jasmine Nyree Homes, Inc. 3011 Landis Street Pittsburgh, PA 15204.
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Sara “Sally” C. Sabol (Little)
Sara Catherine Sabol (nee Little) was born in Sheraden on March 18, 1933. She passed away on August 14, 2021. Her mother, Sarah (Arbuckle) Little passed before Sally turned one year old. Her father John Little, her loving aunt, Mary E. (known as Nanny or Marie) Little and her grandmother, C