Sara Ann Tokheim

TOKHEIM

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 9/28/2020 at 08:40:40

Sara Ann Tokheim, born Dec. 15, 1941, died Sept. 13, 2020. She grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she lived for the first 20 years of her life. She was anxious to experience life, so she left for California to find her fame and fortune. Sara lived in California for four years. During her time away from home, she discovered she was gay. Not really knowing what to do, she returned home to the nest.

Sara fell in love with computers shortly after returning to Iowa. Seeing an advertisement on TV for the need for people to learn computer programming, she requested to take the exam and passed it. That was the beginning of her 45 year love affair with computers.

Sara’s next big adventure was buying a resort in Wisconsin with three other friends. At that time, she started working in Minneapolis as an independent contract consultant. There she spent five years working for IBM in the professional services department. Over the years, she worked for many Fortune 500 companies, updating their data centers to the current software versions.

After 10 years in Minneapolis, Sara set up her home base in Santa Fe, N.M. The first few year she lived there she traveled all over to different jobs. Then she decided to work locally and became an employee for the state of New Mexico.

While living in Santa Fe, Sara had her first taste of cancer when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even though Sara won her battle with breast cancer, she always lived with the fear of its return.

After retiring from the State of New Mexico, Sara moved back home to Iowa with her twin, Sally. She loved being home in the Iowa City area. She had the opportunity now to spend more time with her dogs, Sadie, Greta and Garbo. Sara worked with and certified therapy dogs. She also took time working within the school system with the read program. Young students practiced their reading skills in front of her dogs. The dogs loved it and so did the students. After 10 years, all three of her dogs passed over the rainbow bridge. Sara continued to work with computers as an instructor for Kirkwood Community College. She worked for Dillard’s in customer service. In her leisure time, she loved to play golf and card games with her friends and family.

In late 2019, she discovered she had lung cancer in her right lung. Looking back on her experiences, her latter encounter with cancer would be much more aggressive. Sara became a resident of the Bird House Hospice Center in Iowa City, where she passed away peacefully with her twin sister at her side.

Sara is survived by her twin and soulmate, Sally; her sisters, Mary and Joyce; and several nieces and nephews, including her special niece Tracy, who she referred to as her daughter. She also is survived by her dogs and cats that made her life grand, Bailey, Sheldon, Frosty and Gilda.

Sara was preceded in life by her parents and her four brothers, Billy, Howard, Gary and Bob. A Celebration of Life will follow for a life well served.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

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