Sally Dee Plautz

Sally Dee Barney, age 62, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2021, at Wake Medical Center, with her husband and love of her life, Douglas, by her side. Sally is survived by her husband Douglas; her daughters Elizabeth Lewis (Erik) and Catherine Plautz (Derek Lewis); sons Christian (Mary), Mark (Ashley), Michael (Kristin), Eric (Sarah), Daniel (Rebecca), and Benjamin Alexander; grandchildren Amelia, Charlotte, Clark, Tabitha, and Janine Lewis; Rhys, Alistair, Miranda, and Gwenian Lewis; Maggie, Maxwell, Lucy, Lionel, Etta, and Annie Plautz; Livia and MarliRae Plautz; Thatcher and Violet Plautz; Penny and Zachary Plautz; sisters Colleen Rawlinson (Will), Ruth Ellen Chandler (Jared), JoAnn Pennock (John), and Fran Hall (Jim); and grandpups Pepper, Bandit, Red, and Fiona. She is preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Ruth Eleanore Barney and grandpups Sydney and Zoey.

Sally was born in East Chicago, Indiana, the third of five daughters, to Joseph Alma and Ruth Eleanore Barney. She married her high school sweetheart, Douglas Alan Plautz, on March 22, 1980, in her parents' living room. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Washington D.C. Temple on June 18, 1982. Sally and Douglas moved from the Midwest to North Carolina in 1986, where they raised their eight children.

One could not know Sally and not know of her love of music. She was a talented pianist and flutist, as well as a beautiful singer. She found much joy in performing in musical theater throughout high school, her time at BYU, and on several occasions as an adult. She found much fulfillment as a choir director at church. Her love and knowledge of music brought out the best in all who sang with and for her. Perhaps her favorite musical experiences were those when she would sing with her husband.

Sally loved her Heavenly Father and Savior and lived her testimony. Her faith in Heavenly Father’s love remained unshaken to the end. She was a faithful and active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints all her life. She loved and found strength in the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon. She held many church callings and assignments, starting as a music leader and choir accompanist at age 12. She had many callings as an instructor and had an incredible ability to incorporate life experiences into her lessons in a way that helped others understand that living the gospel is more than attending church, it is how we live our lives. More importantly, her greatest gospel successes are found in how she taught her children the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her testimony lives on through them. Her faith strengthened her through many of life’s trials including two separate bouts with cancer—first breast, then ovarian. As she fought breast cancer, she found comfort and demonstrated her faith by blogging. Ultimately, she found that the ability to endure her trials was achieved through The Power Of Love, which became the name of her blog. She found great comfort in the scripture from 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind."

Sally had many successful careers while still being a stay-at-home mom. From the first year of marriage, she was a piano teacher. She also taught voice and flute lessons, was a seamstress, spent years making beautiful wedding and birthday cakes as Cake Dreams by Sally, and finally established a highly successful career in real estate. To Sally, these were not just jobs or services; she cared about making sure each student, each cake, and each home was the best that she could provide. Her commitment to providing her best led to customers becoming friends. Because of her professional experiences, Sally was a cheerleader for local businesses and was eager to promote them.

There is no question of how impactful Sally’s life was on this earth. She loved and was loved by so many.

A funeral will be held by invitation on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, at 1:00 pm. The funeral broadcast will also be broadcast at https://mywebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/Events/raleighnorthcarolinasouthstake – select “Harris Lake Ward Funeral.” Following the funeral from 2:30pm - 3:00pm all are invited to a graveside service at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, 1621 Broad Street, Fuquay Varina, NC 27526. We kindly ask that all attending observe COVID-19 protocols by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.

Flowers may be sent to Apex Funeral Home at 550 W Williams Street, Apex, NC 27502. In lieu of flowers, donations can be given online to the Duke Cancer Institute using the link below. Please choose “DCI Gynecologic Cancers Fund” to ensure donations reach them. Donations can also be made via check payable to “Duke Ovarian Cancer Research Fund” and mailed to the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3079, Durham, NC 27710. All donors will receive a letter with tax receipt.

https://www.gifts.duke.edu/dci?technique_code=CCCWBDNN