Dates
Sara Jeanette Driggers Lara passed away peacefully in San Angelo after a short illness, surrounded by friends and her loving daughter, Kim Ryan. She was 5 days short of her 82nd birthday.
Sara Lara was born in Mt. Pleasant, TX on May 17th, 1933, the youngest of four children, during the depths of the Great Depression, to Elvin Driggers and Alice Brown Driggers. She met and married her husband, Peter Paul Lara in April, 1951 in Texarkana, Texas where he was stationed as a Corporal in the United States Army. They were married for over 60 years.
Her husband's work in military intelligence and the Army Security Agency took them all over the nation and the world, from Monterey, California and Athens, Greece in the 1950's to Maryland and the divided city of West Berlin in the 1960's. She and Pete settled in San Angelo in the late 1960's where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Sara and Pete were longtime and active supporters of athletics at Angelo State University where two of her children graduated and Pete earned a graduate degree. A Gold member of the Ram Club, Sara generously gave her time and bequeathed a sizeable donation to ASU.
Sara's generosity extended to family and friends throughout San Angelo where she was known for her numerous baby quilts. She loved to travel, especially to the Big Island of Hawaii, where she and Pete spent many happy months each year swimming and hiking. Among her other interests were gardening and birding. Sara and Pete were active in civics and were longtime election judges in San Angelo.
Sara is preceded in death by her husband and infant daughter, Mary, along with two brothers, Fred and Buddy Driggers. She is survived by her sister Joanne Barton of Uniontown, Washington as well as her children Peter and wife Bonnie Lara, Kim Ryan, Paul and wife Margaret Lara, five grandchildren,Sara Ryan, Nick Ryan, Paul Van Lara, Matt Lara and Alec Lara, and three great-grandchildren, Vance, Eva and Max Ryan. Like her husband Pete, Sara donated her body to the Texas Tech University Medical School. A memorial service will be held Friday at 1pm at the Johnson Funeral Home Chapel. She will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery alongside her husband Pete and daughter Mary.