Sara Jane Rumley

Sara Jane Rumley passed away on July 31, 2019 in Loveland, Colorado after a long-fought battle with cancer. She was 69 years old. Sara was a loving wife, caring sister, thoughtful niece and aunt, trusted mother-in law, warmhearted grandmother, and friend to many. She was a great woman who is highly deserving of a memorialization of her legacy.

Sara was born in Waterloo, Iowa on March 19, 1950. She moved to Venice, Florida at the age of 8. Sara lived there until her graduation from the University of Florida. Shortly thereafter, Sara relocated to Colorado in 1976 where she got a job at CSU-an institution she served with pride for 40 years.! Bill and Sara met and fell in love. On December 12, 1981 they were married at St. John’s Catholic Church in Ft. Collins, CO. Sara’s mid-western values of hard work, honesty, modesty, generosity, and integrity and Bill’s relaxed, good humored, laid-back, care-free attitude made them a perfect yin and yang. That’s why their relationship worked and lasted through good times and bad for nearly 38 years. She loved to host family events, especially Easter and Labor Day, at their lovely home they built together in La Porte, CO.

Sara and Bill traveled the world together. These trips included spending many a Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday in exotic places like Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico and the Caribbean. Some recent travel adventures included visiting China-where they stood on the Great Wall and Italy-where they rode a gondola through the canals of Venice. While in Italy, Sara and Bill also enjoyed the warmth of the Tuscan sun, explored the ruins of Ancient Rome, and went on a Baltic sea cruise where they walked the streets of Tallinn and visited the Tivoli Gardens of Copenhagen.

When not working, traveling, cooking, freezing garden produce, and training dogs, Sara enjoyed working in her beautiful yard, attending yoga classes, and swinging a golf club with her husband and friends. What a life!! While they never had human children of their own, Sara and Bill shared the joy of being the parents to 4-legged fur babies. Oh, did Sara love her dogs. From Chester to Sydney to Charlie to Griffin to Benny, Sara enjoyed training her children in obedience and agility.

Sara is survived by her husband Bill, brothers Bob (Pat) Havenstrite of Harrison, AR and Mike (Diana) Havenstrite of Waterloo, Iowa; aunt Mary Sandhagen of Minden, Nevada; nephew Mike (Jorgina) Rumley and nieces Madison and Brooke of Arvada, Colorado; and countless other relatives, friends and former colleagues. Sara was preceded in death by her parents, Darlene Havenstrite Cooney and Beverly (Bob) Wayne Havenstrite.

Sara left no word unspoken, no deed undone and left nothing unsettled. She was an all-around loving, invested, spirited, and strong soul who will surely be loved and missed. May she rest in peace.

A Celebration of Life will be held on August 18th, 2019 at 4:30 PM at Rist Canyon Inn in La Porte, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Sara's name to the Pathways Palliative and Hospice Care, 305 Carpenter Rd., Fort Collins, Colorado 80525, www.pathways-care.org or the Larimer County Humane Society, 3501 E. 71st St., Loveland, Colorado 80538 or www.larimerhumane.org.