Sara L. Hightower

Sara. Hightower ~ Southern Lady on Palmer ~ March 27, 1923 - June 21, 2020 Sunday night, June 21, 2020, God whispered her name .... Mom's last words were, "I want to go home". She was in her physical home but mom was talking about her heavenly home.Our Mom wanted to be with my dad and now she is. My mom was a force of nature. I remember one day, at age 85, she called to tell me she had worked out in the yard for five (5) hours and thought maybe she hurt her left knee while pulling weeds for so long. She was right! After that day she had nothing but trouble with that knee. Mom was an avid reader, afghan maker, smart dresser, enthusiastic shopper & baker of Carrot Cakes! Now for Sara & Gene's story: During one of his Air Force breaks, my dad stopped in Georgiana, Alabama to visit a military buddy of his. That was the day he met my mom. When the war was over he returned and they were married on May 11, 1946 in my mom's hometown Methodist Church in Georgiana. They had three children: Annette Tracy, (Jack) Cleve Hightower (Connie) & Kenneth Hightower (Kathryn). The beloved grandchildren are : Dawne Michelle Franklin; Cleve Hightower, Jr., Baker S. Hightower (Brittani) Morgan Cooper (Robin) and Kari Elizabeth Santiago (Luis) and Great grandchildren are : Grady C. Cooper, Cruz Andrew Santiago and Lily Hightower to arrive in September! Because my dad was in the Air Force, we moved about every three years. The best place dad was stationed was in Landsberg, Germany (1955 - 1958). My dad was a history buff and made sure we visited important sites in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria. We loved our adventures throughout Europe! Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome was my favorite. After dad retired from the Air Force, we ended up in Orlando, FL, only because he had traveled through Orlando at one point and thought it would be a beautiful place to live. He also knew that Orlando Air Force Base was here (before it was the Navy Base and presently Baldwin Park). There were other military friends in the area, so it seemed like a great plan to my parents. While we looked for a new home, in 1961, we stayed at the Lake Eola Motel which was on the corner of Robinson and Magnolia. We walked around the lake every day and fed the pigeons and the squirrels, it was great fun! When dad retired he became a Real Estate Broker and opened "Eugene Hightower Realty" on East Colonial Drive. In 1969 he had a call to list a property in the Lake Cherokee, Lake Davis historical area of Orlando. Instead of listing it, Dad and mom bought it! Mom loved her home, we could not ever get her to sell and move on to a smaller, more manageable place. She was fiercely independent, extremely stubborn about making her own decisions and taking care of her house and rental property in the back. Because of the duplex rental, we have had an opportunity to meet some wonderful people, some of whom have become long time family friends. Alas.... my mom has gone to be with my dad and we think she is probably already giving him a hard time about something... she sure kept him in line, just like the rest of us! The world only gets one Sara & Gene and we three kids got them as our mom and dad. Thank you, Lord, for all the days we had with them. Annette Hightower Tracy