Sara Davenport Cadenhead

Sara, born Sara Emily Davenport, passed away on May 2, 2020 at Presbyterian Village in Austell, GA. She was born April 13, 1925, to James Marcus (Mark) and Odessa Mae West Davenport, in the rural farming community of Mars Hill, near Acworth, in Cobb County, GA. She lived in Atlanta for many years before moving with her husband, A. Paul Cadenhead, to the Village in 2010.

Survivors include Paul, her husband of 75 years, along with their two sons Steven Paul Cadenhead (Melanie Wallack Cadenhead, New Rochelle, NY) and David James Cadenhead (Alpharetta, GA); grandchildren: Alexander Paul Cadenhead, Amanda Leigh Cadenhead, and Hannah McCoy Cadenhead.

Growing up in the rural South, Sara appreciated the beauty of Nature; she tilled the soil and enjoyed the fruits of her labor. She sought higher education, first in Acworth High School, then, on a 4-H scholarship, in West Georgia Junior College. While there, she held a job in the Dean’s office and edited the campus newspaper, The West Georgian. She also met Paul, a fellow student. Upon graduation, she was named winner of the prestigious Gordon Watson Memorial Award. The (now) University of West Georgia honored her by naming the lobby of a beautiful new campus building for her: the Sara Davenport Cadenhead Lobby.

Sara’s life was one of truth, love, and service, which included teaching Sunday School and serving as an officer in her church—the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. She also delivered food to shut-ins and was president of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for her sons’ school; she was active in organizations supporting mental health. She only wanted to be remembered, in her own words, as “a helpmate to my beloved husband and a worthy and loving mother to our sons.”

Sara was kind, always seeing the beauty in others, sometimes waiting to be released—the way a gifted sculptor can look at a plain rock and see the possibility of its becoming a work of art. The beauty Sara could see, when few others could, was reflected in her smile.

After freedom from the invading coronavirus, a memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, where Sara and Paul were long-time members.

The family requests that those who wish to honor Sara’s memory donate to The Davenport-Cadenhead Scholarship Fund, University of West Georgia Foundation, 1601 Maple Street, Carrollton, GA 30118 (Attn: Nichole Fannin) or at www.giving.westga.edu/cadenhead .