Sara Ann "San" Haak
b. August 2, 1927
Sara Ann (San) Haak, a lifelong resident of Lebanon County, died January 5, 2025 at the age of 97. Her husband of 56 years, Richard (Dick) Haak, her parents J. Albert Buser and Catharine Harpel Buser, and her sister Louise Boger Harris, preceded her in death.
San graduated from Lebanon High School in 1945 and Wilson College in 1949. San was a homemaker while her children were growing up. She supported their athletic, scouting, church, and school activities, and loosely supervised neighborhood play in the “Haak Woods”. During those and later years, San was on the Board of the Penn Laurel Girl Scout council, helped develop women’s and girl’s programs at the YMCA, supported early childhood education, and was active in the Flower Club and Lebanon County Historical Society.
San’s leisure activities were reading, knitting, and gardening. She particularly enjoyed detective stories written by women. Her grandchildren all had sweaters knit by “Gran San”. San’s flower beds were a joy to behold in the spring, summer, and fall. After Dick’s retirement, they enjoyed travel in the US and Europe and never forgot to send postcards. Free to speak her mind, San could always be counted on for a sharp quip or retort.
San is survived by her children: Libby Krochalis (Rick) of Seattle, Rip Haak (Nancy Weyer) of Cape Cod and John Haak (Beth) of Philadelphia. San will be missed by her seven grandchildren (Sallie, Joanne, Andy, Emma, John, Catharine and Laura), ten great grandchildren and ten Boger and Haak nieces and nephews. The family will have a celebration of San’s long and loving life later this year.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lebanon County Historical Society (924 Cumberland Street, Lebanon PA 17042; https://lebanoncountyhistory.org/shop/donate ) or the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater PA (2595 Interstate Drive, Suite 100 Harrisburg PA 17110; https://www.alz.org/pa?form=FUNXNDBNWRP )
San graduated from Lebanon High School in 1945 and Wilson College in 1949. San was a homemaker while her children were growing up. She supported their athletic, scouting, church, and school activities, and loosely supervised neighborhood play in the “Haak Woods”. During those and later years, San was on the Board of the Penn Laurel Girl Scout council, helped develop women’s and girl’s programs at the YMCA, supported early childhood education, and was active in the Flower Club and Lebanon County Historical Society.
San’s leisure activities were reading, knitting, and gardening. She particularly enjoyed detective stories written by women. Her grandchildren all had sweaters knit by “Gran San”. San’s flower beds were a joy to behold in the spring, summer, and fall. After Dick’s retirement, they enjoyed travel in the US and Europe and never forgot to send postcards. Free to speak her mind, San could always be counted on for a sharp quip or retort.
San is survived by her children: Libby Krochalis (Rick) of Seattle, Rip Haak (Nancy Weyer) of Cape Cod and John Haak (Beth) of Philadelphia. San will be missed by her seven grandchildren (Sallie, Joanne, Andy, Emma, John, Catharine and Laura), ten great grandchildren and ten Boger and Haak nieces and nephews. The family will have a celebration of San’s long and loving life later this year.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lebanon County Historical Society (924 Cumberland Street, Lebanon PA 17042; https://lebanoncountyhistory.org/shop/donate ) or the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater PA (2595 Interstate Drive, Suite 100 Harrisburg PA 17110; https://www.alz.org/pa?form=FUNXNDBNWRP )
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