Wife, mother, and grandmother, age 86, passed away on November 24, 2025. She was born on January 31, 1939 in South Bend, Indiana to the late Albert and Anne Kahn. Although she was always known as Sally, (except as Grammy to her grandchildren), she was legally Sarah Anne.  She was raised with her two sisters in a loving home where she learned the value of family and was exposed to strong examples of work ethic.

The family moved to Buchanan, Michigan when she was 12. After graduation from high school, Sally attended Stephens College for two years and then transferred to the University of Michigan where she was graduated in 1960 with a BA in History. She earned her Juris Doctorate in 1963 from the University of Michigan.

She married her husband Anthony and they moved to Cleveland, Ohio. She was employed as a Trust Officer at the Union Commerce Bank and taught legal drafting as an Instructor at Case Western Reserve Law School. In 1970, the family moved to Canton. Although she had planned to continue her legal career, circumstances made it difficult, so she spent the next fifteen years raising her three children and volunteering in the community.

In 1980, she was appointed to the Plain Local Board of Education and was elected to three subsequent terms. She served on a variety of Boards including Stark State College Foundation, The United Way Board of Trustees, The Junior League of Stark County, the Grief Center, and Pyramid Career Services.  She even spent several years coaching YMCA soccer.

In 1992, she was appointed Grand Jury Foreman and her interest in resuming a legal career was reactivated.  She began working for Richards and Merrill Law Firm, and then, in 1993, Judge David Stucki asked her to serve as his bailiff.  And so, she began her 21-year career with family court being appointed a Magistrate in 1995 and later Chief Magistrate. She retired in 2014 and was appointed to the Stark County District Library Board of Trustees which allowed her to continue her deep interest in education and literacy.  Sally remained active on the Board and was particularly passionate about working to raise money to build the new main library in downtown Canton in the coming years.

She was predeceased in death by her parents and husband Anthony to whom she was married for 58 years. She is survived by her three children, Anne Efremoff of Canton, Cynthia (James) Stowers of Leesburg, Virginia, and Alan (Julie) Efremoff of Charlotte, North Carolina, grandchildren, Hannah and Remy Efremoff of Charlotte, North Carolina, and sisters Carolyn Bieneman and Kathy Rusk.

Sally always felt she had been blessed and was particularly grateful for: her sisters and their families; her dear friends and their children who became her extended family; her colleagues, staff, and the lawyers she worked with at Family Court; the members of Plain Local Board of Education with whom she served, and the dedicated administrators, teachers and parents she had the opportunity to learn from; her fellow Board and committee members in the agencies that she had the privilege of being a part of; all those professional and service providers in Canton who provided the family with assistance in so many ways, making Canton an ideal community in which to live and raise a family; and most of all, she was grateful for her husband, children and grandchildren.

Among her many qualities, Sally exuded humility in all facets of her life. She would have never called attention to the fact that she was a trail blazer for women throughout her adult life. Whether it was being one of the first women to graduate law school at the University of Michigan, to being named first woman Trust Officer in Cleveland, to being School Board President, or being appointed Chief Magistrate, she never let her gender define her limits or get in the way of what she wanted to accomplish for herself and her community. She helped pave the way for others to follow, and she became a mentor to many.

A memorial service is planned for 11:00 AM on Friday, January 2, 2026 at Arnold Funeral Home at 1517 North Market Avenue, Canton, Ohio, 44714.

Interment will be in a private ceremony at Mishawaka Fairview Cemetery in Mishawaka, Indiana.  Memorials may be made to The Stark County District Library or The Efremoff Family Trust at the Stark Community Foundation.

The service will also be livestreamed at 11 a.m. for those who cannot attend by clicking here.