Sara Jane Mann

David Bowie

Sara Jane Mann, 60, of Greensboro, NC, died peacefully at home on Sunday, August 11, 2024, following a four-year struggle with metastatic breast cancer. Her loving husband of 27 years, Jack Stratton was by her side.

Sara Jane was a beloved wife, faithful sister, and a dear and loyal friend to many. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1995 from UNC Greensboro. She was a visual artist, designer, wordsmith and musician with remarkable intuition. She was also a gifted astrologer and she could cast charts and give insightful readings. Sara Jane simply loved expressing her marvelous imagination! Her favorite visual medium of expression was photography. Her insatiable curiosity made her a natural learner and she loved to read, write, draw and engage creatively with photography in both analog and digital formats.

David Bowie was a creative icon and inspiration to Sara Jane, and since her late teens, much of her life revolved around music. To say she was passionate about music is a gross understatement – it was part of her core being. Over the years, she made many friends through her avid concert attendance and support of local music in Greensboro and North Carolina in general. Later in life, she started making music herself – collaborating with friends, usually singing and improvising on a number of instruments. She was gifted with a remarkable “ear” for harmony and an uncanny ability to pick up instruments and figure out how to play them. Sara Jane played an assortment of percussion instruments as well as melodica, mountain dulcimer, accordion, double bass, and even a stylophone - like the one her idol David Bowie played! She was also an avid thrifter and collector of vintage jewelry, clothing and especially scarves and books.

Professionally, Sara Jane was a talented graphic designer and marketer. She worked at Deep Roots Market Cooperative Grocery in Greensboro for 25 years, designing its oak tree logo and publishing its first newsletter. Her work spanned the move from print media to digital and she loved learning new graphics and design software, constantly expanding her skills. As Deep Roots grew, she helped the organization Deep Roots move (twice). After Deep Roots, she put her skills and experience to work as a freelance photographer and digital marketer, developing content and visuals for a variety of companies and nonprofit organizations.

Sara Jane was a breast cancer survivor for twelve years before experiencing a reoccurrence following a bout with Covid 19 early in 2020. During those years, she mentored and inspired other survivors through her involvement with Hirsch Wellness Network’s free art and wellness classes and the organization’s engaged community of survivors and caregivers.

She was born on November 20, 1963 in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her parents Henry Mann and Elsie (Ball) Mann of and her younger brother, Phillip Lindsey Mann; Kevin Barry Mann, nephew (son of Glen and Glenda Mann), all of Apex, North Carolina. She was also preceded in death by her father in-law, John Albert Stratton II; brother in-law, Robert Mason Stratton; and sister in-law, Debbie Cook Stratton (wife of Tommy Stratton), all of Hickory, North Carolina.

She is survived by her brother Glen Mann (Glenda Mann) of Apex NC; brother Neil Mann (Kim Mann) of Atlanta, GA.; mother in-law Peggy Stratton of Hickory, NC; brother in-law Tommy Stratton of Hickory, NC; niece in-law Ashley Stratton Wimbish (Nick Wimbish) and their children, Carley and Mason Wimbish of Taylorsville, NC. and an extended family of cousins, nieces, nephews and family friends.

Sara Jane will be remembered for her quick wit, adoration for music and art, and her unquenchable curiosity. She was never satisfied with what she knew or could do already – she always needed to learn MORE. She constantly strove to accomplish something new, different or innovative, following the same wisdom as her chief inspiration.

“If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.” David Bowie

Memorial contributions may be made to Hirsch Wellness Network.

Quote source: https://metro.co.uk/2022/01/10/18-david-bowie-quotes-to-remember-him-by-on-the-anniversary-of-his-death-15892392/