Sara Kay

These mini bookends were given to me by Sara. The calligraphy is hers.

Sara and Joy. 2005

When I lived in Dallas I was fortunate enough to be invited by my dear friend Joy to become a member of The Easy Readers Book Club. As book clubs go, this one set the bar high. An interesting group of intelligent, kind, funny and caring women, it was a highlight of my years in the Big D. The group was started in 1986 by Joy, Sara Kay, and Joy's neighbor, Gail. Joy and Sara Kay met while working at the Dallas Times Harold. Sara Kay eventually moved on to Texas Instruments where she was a technical writer.

The book group met on the first Tuesday of each month in the home of one of the book club members. Eventually the group grew to enough people that we had co-hosts: one to clean their house and the other to organize the food. We had heavy hors d'oevres at most meetings. In December we traditionally had chicken tetrazzini at Gail's house but that was generally the only full meal we had. The membership waxed and waned, but the core of the group stayed strong. Now, apparently they have about 20 members and have a waiting list of folks hoping to get invited to join. Wish I could go back for those monthly meetings. 

Some of the Easy Readers

Among the members was Sara Kay Powers. From the first time we met I felt a connection with Sara. Maybe it was the newspaper background, maybe it was just her kind nature. I don't know for sure, but she was a great lady. I always enjoyed her comments on the books. When we 'youngsters' would make comments that reflected judging the actions of the protagonists by  current day standards she and other more senior members of the group would remind us that things in the workplace were very different from when they first started in the workplace and making their way in a man's world. They kept it real and gave us insight into the workaday world of the 50's and 60's. 

Sara was divorced by the time we met, but I eventually learned that she had been married to John "Shorty" Powers - the voice of NASA. John Powers was a former Air Force pilot who was a public relations officer and "the voice of the astronauts" for the early space program. One of the years I was in Easy Readers we went on a retreat to celebrate the group's tenth year anniversary. While on that retreat Sara Kay shared with us stories about the astronauts she had come to know when she and Shorty were associated with the space program. She told us which ones came to the bars with their wives and which came with some "other" woman while their wives stayed at home. I do recall she said that John Glenn was every bit a gentleman and a family man. She had a lot of respect for him. It was fun getting the inside scoop from someone who had been there.

Sara and Roberta at Roberta's 90th birthday celebration.

Sara Kay was also the only person I've met who knew the song, Logger Lover. I knew the song from my youth when my parents sang in a folk group. We sang a hearty round at our retreat. I wonder if that was before or after the wine?

I loved Sara's townhouse. She was quite a gardener and her house was filled with books and plants. It was cozy and comfortable, just like Sara. She was not pretentious at all. She was outspoken and smart and fun. I can still hear her laugh. Sara was good people. 

Regretfully, I got a call from Joy early last week. She let me know that Sara's health was failing. She was going into organ failure. She was in Baylor, but moving to hospice care very soon. I quickly sent off a card letting her know how much I enjoyed having her as a part of my life. Sara died peacefully on Wednesday. I'm thankful she didn't seem to suffer too much, but sad for me because I will miss her. 

Love the ones you're with and let them know how much they mean to you. They won't be here forever. Rest easy, Sara, rest easy.  

Sara Kay Powers. February 2011

Sara Kay Powers (1936 - 2013)

Powers, Sara Kay died February 6, 2013, at her home in Richardson. A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. on Monday, February 18, in the Shepherd's Garden at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas. Sara Kay was born March 6, 1936, to John and Katharyn McSherry in Muncie, Indiana. She attended DePauw University and graduated from Indiana University in 1958 with a bachelor's degree in English composition. Sara Kay was the women's editor at the Indianapolis News when she married Lt. Col. John A. (Shorty) Powers. She moved to Dallas in 1976 to work as a copy editor at the Dallas Times Herald. She left the newspaper in 1982 to work as an editor for Electrospace and later for Texas Instruments and Raytheon. She retired in 2004. She helped organize the Easy Reader Book Club, and she enjoyed calligraphy and biking. She was a member of the Episcopal Church. Sara Kay is survived by her loving companion Kerry Peter Moskop, her daughter Elizabeth McSherry Powers, her son Anthony Bennett (Ben), her granddaughters Madeline and Caitlyn, and her sister Becky. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Sara Kay's memory to the SPCA of Texas.

Published in Dallas Morning News on February 9, 2013