10/02/2026
Sara Caroline Moseley
Sara Caroline Moseley, gifted writer, educator and lifelong Presbyterian, loved family, music, books and travel and was an unapologetically strict grammarian. Sara died on September 30, 2026, surrounded by her family. She was 82. Sara lived a life shaped by faith, family, curiosity and a deep belief in the power of words. Hers was a lifetime of intellectual pursuits, asking questions, exploring her faith and making certain that those around her knew when they had misplaced a comma.
Sara was born on June 18, 1944, in Dallas, Texas, to John D. and Sara Bernice Honea Moseley. She grew up in Sherman, Texas, where she graduated from Sherman High School in 1962 as valedictorian. She attended Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, before graduating cm laude from Austin College in Sherman in 1966. After college, she spent a summer in Liverpool, England, as a Winant and Clayton volunteer—an early opportunity to experience the wider world that would become such an important part of her life.
Sara earned a Master of Arts in American Civilization from the University of Texas in 1969 and began a distinguished career in education, culminating in chairing the English Department of Edmond Memorial High School in Edmond, Oklahoma. As an educator, she had a particular gift for teaching and a deep appreciation for the English language. She was also a lifelong word-smith and editor, qualities that were both admired and, on occasion, approached with appropriate caution by those around her.
After years in education, Sara took her love of language and communication to a wider audience. She moved to Dallas and joined McKinsey & Company as a communications specialist, leading communications training programs and traveling extensively around the world. Her work allowed her to combine her considerable writing and teaching skills with her curiosity about people and places. She later became Executive Director of the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Foundation, where she was able to combine her organizational skills with her deep love of the church.
Sara was passionate about the Presbyterian church, including her family’s heritage in both the denomination and Austin College. She especially loved the worship, liturgy and music. She joined Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas in 1991 and served the congregation in many ways over the years. She faithfully sang in the choir, enjoyed the women’s Circles, Bible and theology studies, served on the Worship and Pastor Search committees and wrote her much-loved “Musings” column for the church newsletter. Her faith was not simply something she believed; it was something she lived, shared and continually explored.
Having attended Mo-Ranch in Hunt, Tx., since childhood, this special place remained an important and cherished part of Sara’s life, providing a place of faith, friendship, music and memories across many decades. Her other favorite “thin place” of faith, was the Scottish Isle of Iona, to which she returned often and with great affection.
After retiring, Sara devoted herself to another lifelong passion: writing. She compiled many of her “Musings” into a book, Praying Attention, which reflected her ability to notice the small things, find meaning in everyday life and put her thoughts into words that encouraged others to pause and pay attention. She later collaborated with her siblings to create a biography of their mother, Sara Bernice Moseley: A Life of Faith and Service. Her work had begun on a similar book about their father.
Sara’s greatest joy was found in being a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, cousin and in-law. She loved her family deeply and took great and genuine pleasure in all their lives, accomplishments and adventures.
Sara’s legacy is more than words on a page. She leaves behind lessons taught, songs sung, prayers offered, stories written, family and friendships cherished, and countless lives touched by her faith, intelligence, wit and love.
Sara was preceded in death by her parents, John D. and Sara Bernice Honea Moseley.
She is survived by her sons, Peter Junkin (Michelle) and Andrew Junkin; her grandchildren, Amira, Lucas, Nicholas and Samuel; her sister, Rebecca Gafford (Ron); and her brother, John Moseley (Alice); along with her niece, nephew and great-nephews, as well as extended family and many friends who felt fortunate to know her.
A memorial service celebrating Sara’s life will be held at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. The service will also be livestreamed at www.phpc.org.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Sara’s memory are invited to make a donation to the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Foundation (www.phpc.org) or to the Austin College Bernice and Sara Rebecca Honea Endowed Fellowship in Teacher Education (www.austincollege.edu).
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