Sara Janet Shankland of Vero Beach, Florida,  passed away on April 17, 2026, following a brief illness, at the age of 88.

Born Sara Janet Jenkins on October 25, 1937, in Huntington, West Virginia, Sara graduated from Huntington High School and the University of Cincinnati, with a BA in Fine Arts and a BS in Education.

Sara spent several years as an educator, beginning her career as an English teacher in South Point, OH, where she also co-hosted local WSAZ-TV station’s Saturday night “Shockwatch” with Emmy-award winning NBC broadcaster Fred Briggs.  She eventually moved on to become a high school art teacher – replacing artist George Segal – in Piscataway Township, NJ, and subsequently in Alexandria, VA.

While taking a career break to raise her children in Potomac, MD, Sara remained active in her community,  volunteering for several civic and social organizations, including serving as a board member and officer of the Florence Crittenton Home; chair of the Junior Guild of the Davis Memorial Goodwill Industries DC annual Gala; and local volunteer coordinator for the 1984 Mondale presidential campaign’s DC headquarters.   Sara also continued her artistic and entrepreneurial pursuits, successfully building small home-based businesses through which she shared her creative talents in markets and shows around the area.  She was a founding member of the Potomac Community Theater, as well as a member of St. Francis Episcopal Church, where she participated in the Altar Guild and as a Lay Eucharistic Minister.

In 1995, Sara and her husband Bill retired to Vero Beach, FL, where she became active in the Vero Beach Museum of Art and the Vero Beach Art Club, and was accepted into the local juried Art Under the Oaks art show for several years, selling her handcrafted silver jewelry.  Sara was a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church, where she served as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and a member of the Daughters of the King.   Sara and Bill enjoyed extensive travel all over the world.

Predeceased by her parents, Lena Henrietta Jenkins and Austin Thomas Jenkins, Sara is survived by her husband Bill Shankland, and daughters Anne Gordon of Edgewater, MD, and Katherine Gordon (Pedro Cruz Castro) of Brooklyn, NY.

A memorial service for Sara will be scheduled at a later date.