Sara Jane Toenes

Sara Jane Toenes, educator, patron of the arts, loving friend, aunt, sister, and daughter, passed away in her home on Saturday, December 23, 2023.

Sara spent her early childhood in Union, New Jersey, until the family moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, when she was seven. There, she excelled in school and was able to skip a grade. She enjoyed taking care of her pet ducks, writing, and playing the clarinet in the school band. Always at the top of her class, she won the State French Contest in her senior year of high school, the prize for which included a scholarship to the Women’s College of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. After graduating from UNC, she earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in French at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Sara spent her life generously sharing knowledge with others as a professor of French and organizer of international trips. She was one of the first faculty at the newly formed University of Wisconsin, Waukesha, where she helped found the French Department and served as a professor until her retirement. One of her favorite classes was a French film series, where she met many of her life-long friends. A supporter of the arts, her name can be seen on many regional donors’ lists, having regularly attended concerts and theater performances both locally and in the New York area.

Sara was a member of Waukesha’s United Unitarian Universalist Congregation, where she volunteered in various capacities. She also helped at the university library and coordinated the ushers at the Waukesha Civic Theater for many years.

Another passion was travel, taking countless trips all around the world, especially to her beloved French countryside. Sara was able to connect with the locals using her fluent understanding of the language and regional color.

Sara will be missed by her many friends and family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gladys DePont and Colle William Toenes; her brother, George DePont Toenes; her sister-in-law, Mary Virginia Groomes Toenes; and her nephew, Craig Allen Toenes.

She is survived by her niece, Valerie Ann Toenes; her nephew, Richard William Toenes (Carey Ann Strelecki); and her great-niece and nephews; Jillon Devon McGreal, Kevin William McGreal, and Richard Phelan McGreal (Hannah Elizabeth Sokol).

A celebration of Sara’s life will be held at a later date.