Sara Jane Anton

Sara Jane Anton of Louisville, KY, died peacefully on June 17, 2021. Born on January 29, 1937 in Baltimore, MD, Sara was the daughter of Dr. Paul A. Lembcke and Dorothy (Papineau) Lembcke. She grew up in Baltimore and Rochester, NY and spent a year in the Philippines with her family while her father, a renowned epidemiologist, taught at the University of Manilla.
She attended the Harley School in Rochester and was a graduate of the Friends School in Baltimore and Columbia University. At Columbia, she met her future husband, the late Albert J. Anton, Jr. After living in Philadelphia and New York City, the couple moved to South Orange, NJ, where they lived for over 35 years and raised their three children before settling in Louisville in 2006.
In her younger days, Sara was an avid tennis player and a selfless volunteer who served for many years as a member of the South Orange Rescue Squad, responding to thousands of emergencies. She was a voracious reader and crossword puzzle enthusiast. She was known for her keen intellect and wry sense of humor. In her final years, she faced up to significant health challenges with courage and tenacity.
Sara was predeceased by her beloved husband of 51 years, Albert, who died in 2010, and a sister, Judith Lembcke. Surviving are her devoted children, Claire (John), Louisville, KY, Christopher (Joanne), Randolph, NJ and Thomas, Fairfield, NJ, and her sister, Cindy Kamler, Bishop, CA. She also leaves behind seven cherished grandchildren, Nash, Cameron and Cooper Whaley, and Margot, Nora, Owen and Jody Anton.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1960 Bardstown Road, with burial in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation is 4-8 p.m. on Thursday at Highlands Family-Owned Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Road, KY.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to Catholic Relief Services (crs.org) or Mattingly Edge (mattinglyedge.org).