Sarah Elizabeth Lewis Powers, known to the world as Sally, left us on Dec. 12, 2024. She leaves behind her beloved son, Roman. Tragically, Sally’s husband, Tom Powers, died only a few weeks ago. Roman has lost both his parents. Please keep Roman in your thoughts.
Sally grew up on Poplar Street on The Hill in Douglaston with her brother, Dave. They landed there after living in Beirut, Lebanon, for several years, where Sally’s dad Al was the station manager for Pan American World Airways. Sally introduced the rest of us to hummus and tabbouli, then new and exotic fare.
Sally attended PS 98, Louis Pasteur Junior High School 67, and Cardozo High School. At Cardozo, Sally was among the group of student activists that held Principal Ben Michaelson hostage in his office for several days in the spring of 1970 to protest the war in Vietnam. After realizing that Mr. Michaelson didn’t mind being held hostage and, in any case, could not end the war in Vietnam, he was released. He never held it against Sally and gave her her diploma a few weeks later. Sally was a proud member of Cardozo’s first graduating class of 1970.
Sally and her parents, Pat and Al, were devoted denizens of the Douglaston Dock, and were among the original “Dock Rats.” They could be found there every single summer day, through high tide and low: Pat and Al with their back issues of The New Yorker and a jar of martinis, Sally with her allowance, with which she generously treated her poorer friends to ice cream when the truck rolled around.
Sally was a Cancer, born on July 10. She loved the water and was a cutthroat competitor in the game of Dibble, a popular Douglaston summer game that involved hordes of kids jumping into the water simultaneously to try to grab a Popsicle stick. Unbelievably, no one was hurt. Sally’s dear friend, Lisa Mueller Gannon, years later was crowned the Dibble Queen, a coronation that Sally enthusiastically endorsed.
Sally was born in the Year of the Dragon. She was strong, but also kind, compassionate and generous of spirit. A true egalitarian, Sally disdained pretense of any kind, and could connect easily with anyone. She was open and friendly, tolerant and accepting. She was also a seeker, with a deep spirituality and a strong belief in her connection to the broader cosmos. She loved all creatures and was delighted to learn that a friend’s Chihuahua was named Dolly Sarah Elizabeth in her honor.
Sally was always about caring for people and seeing their humanity regardless of their circumstances. As a teenager and young adult, she volunteered as a candy striper at French Hospital in Hell’s Kitchen and at the VA Hospital in Manhattan. Later, Sally studied to become a licensed practical nurse. She worked at Ozzanam Nursing Home for several years. She genuinely loved the residents, and no task was ever beneath her.
As confirmed by her hostage taking, Sally was a political activist from an early age, staunchly anti-war, and committed to civil rights and social justice. She was part of the group of Douglaston youth who, inspired and led by Frank Ward, founded the Douglaston Center for a Democratic Society in the late 1960s. Her handwritten commentary and notes can be found among the historical record of the society, now part of the archives of the New York Public Library.
Although she was extraordinarily bright, Sally chose not to pursue formal education after high school. She was an avid reader throughout her life and loved poetry and Shakespeare, as well as self-help books. Her knowledge of literature was astounding, as was her vocabulary. She loved words and delighted in using unusual and colorful adverbs in unexpected ways. She studied French in junior high and high school. She was a great mimic with a decent accent and could create entire conversations in mostly made-up French that were hilarious but also managed to sound convincing.
Sally loved music and theater. She had a great soprano singing voice and was a natural ham. She was an enthusiastic member of the choir at the Douglaston Community Church, and a valued participant in local community theater productions. Sally also studied acting at the world-famous HB Studio in New York City.
Among other roles, Sally was the ingenue in “H.M.S. Pinafore” and “The Mikado” at Zion Church. She played off the Crane brothers, Mike and Taz, in perfect harmony. The three of them could have been on Broadway. Sally also played Eve to Goat Mueller’s inimitable Adam in a local production of “The Apple Tree.” Audiences loved her.
In addition to Douglaston, Sally had a long attachment to Bell Boulevard, where she spent many happy years. Sally was the first among dozens of female (and, curiously, only female) Douglaston teenagers to work at the Little King Sandwich Shop. Sally trained her staff in the fine art of preparing giant subs. Sally also tended bar at several quality establishments and came to befriend many of the regulars.
Sally’s life changed when she met Tom Powers on an infamous horseback riding trip in the early 1980s. After marrying Tom, Sally first moved to Locust Valley and then later to Edgecomb. Son Roman was born in 2000, which, notably, was also a Year of the Dragon.
To help Roman pursue his interest in a career in music, Sally and Roman drove across the country in 2018, with feline companion Luna, and landed in San Diego, where they were taken under the wing of Sally’s beloved Douglaston friend, Frank Ward. Sally loved her time in San Diego. She reveled in the southern California sunshine and live-and-let-live vibe, and she had a blast. She found her people and made new friends. Roman, too, took to life in southern California, and enrolled in music school in L.A.
With Roman established in school, Sally returned to Maine to be with Tom. When Tom’s health began to fail, Sally devoted herself to his care. Sadly, Tom passed away on Nov. 16, and, shockingly, Sally was diagnosed with terminal cancer only days later. She passed away peacefully on Dec. 12.
In addition to her husband, Tom, Sally’s parents, Pat and Al Lewis; her aunt, Bessie Lewis; and her brother, Dave Lewis, predeceased her.
Sally is survived by cherished son, Roman; and nieces, Andrea Moseley and Melissa Boyd, who lovingly cared for Sally following Tom’s death.
Sally’s passing has left a giant hole in the hearts of her many friends. Hers was a unique and joyful spirit. She left us way too soon.
We love you, Sally, and we will always hold you close.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Hall’s of Boothbay. To share a condolence or story with the Powers family, please visit Sarah’s book of memories at hallfuneralhomes.com.
