Sarah A. Litch Died Dec. 2, 2016

Sarah Ambrose Litch 1936-2016

Sarah Ambrose Litch, age 80, of Kasson Township Glen Lake area, died on December 2, 2016, at the Traverse City Munson Hospice House, after a yearlong battle against appendix cancer.  Born on July 17, 1936, in Pittsburgh, PA, she was the daughter of Dr. Henry A. and Mary (Mortimer) Ambrose, both deceased. On September 5, 1957 she married Ernest W. Litch III (Mike) at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh, PA.

As a child she was raised by her family in the Pittsburgh area.  She received her B.S. degree in nutritional studies from Carnegie Institute of Technology, Margaret Morrison Carnegie College in Pittsburgh.  In the early 1960s, after moving with her family to Ft. Wayne, IN, Sarah became interested and active in teaching children with special needs.  After receiving her master’s degree in special education, Sarah served as Teaching Principal of a five corporation school cooperative in the Fort Wayne Area and taught special education at St. Francis College, later becoming the head of that department.

Sarah later worked for the Indiana State Department of Public Instruction and authored the book Towards the Prevention of Mental Retardation in the Next Generation, and traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada training teachers in the To Be Born and Grow Well program.

Sarah helped establish the Learning Development Center (LDC) for handicapped children in Ft. Wayne and served as School Director.  A principal focus of the Center was to assist parents in getting special help for their children where regular school inclusion was not possible or helpful.

She concluded her professional career as a consulting teacher for the visually impaired and blind for two school systems in the Ft. Wayne area.

After “retirement” Sarah couldn’t stop.  At the University of New Hampshire she trained as a marine docent and taught marine science and water quality stewardship to school children.

Later returning to the family cottage on Glen Lake, which became Sarah’s and her husband’s permanent retirement home, this past volunteer work led to her becoming an instructor for the Inland Seas Education Association and an active member of the Glen Lake Association (GLA) where for a time she served as president and head of the water quality committee.  Sarah was very active and successful in enhancing the GLA’s water quality through, protection from aquatic invasive species, and shoreline protection programs.  Her education and writing skills were instrumental in production of the Glen Lake Stewardship Handbook and Stewardship Checklist, fantastic resources for protection of the lake and watershed.

Her recent water quality contribution involved serving on Leelanau County Government Clean Water Board as president where she was influential in sharing her stewardship knowledge and expertise to other organizations in Leelanau County and beyond.

Sarah was a member of the Glen Lake Garden Club and served for a time as president and chair of the Conservation and Preservation Committee.

Sarah’s professional and volunteer accomplishments were exemplary, especially in light that during her career years she raised five wonderful children and was a remarkable grandmother to her three grandsons, Daniel, Adam, and Samuel.

Sarah will be sorely missed by her family, friends, and those that worked with her during her career and volunteer years. From her youth until her death she used her multitude of gifts to nurture and educate and she left this world a much better place.

She is survived by her husband Ernest, her sister Maryanne, her brother David and her children, Michael (Paula), Maureen (Amy), Timothy (Cathy), Anna (John), and Andrew.  Private family services are being held.  A memorial service for friends and neighbors is being planned locally and will be held this coming summer 2017.

It shouldn’t surprise us that Sarah, true to her nature, couldn’t stop enabling learning experiences. Sarah’s last wishes were that her body go to the University of Michigan Medical School as an anatomical gift for medical education. Thereafter, there will be cremation and her ashes will be returned to her family.

In remembrance of Sarah, memorial contributions may be directed to the Glen Lake Association at P.O. Box 245, Glen Arbor, MI 49636 and/or the Father Fred Foundation at 826 Hastings St., Traverse City, MI 49686.

Please share thoughts and memories of Sarah at www.martinson.info.

Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.