Sarah Jane Harrs

Sarah Jane Harrs, 87, of Arlington, Virginia, passed away peacefully on March 17, 2025. A beloved wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Sarah or “Sally,” will always be remembered for her kindness, ready smile, keen wit, and endless love for and devotion to her family and friends.

Born on June 4, 1937, in Chicago, Sally was the eldest of three daughters of Edward and Katherine Finnegan and sister to Kathleen Galvez and Moira Epperson. Always an accomplished student, Sally graduated from Trinity College in Washington D.C., where she was class president.

On April 8, 1961, Sally married Leland Allen (“Al”) Harrs, then a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. They enjoyed a marriage of 64 years. They spent their early married years in Washington D.C., before moving to Queens, New York and raising their three children. A longtime grammar school English teacher, Sally worked for many years at St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy in Flushing, New York. Decades later, students would often reach out to Sally to thank her for being such a fantastic and caring teacher.

Following the family’s move to Northern Virginia in the early 1980’s, Sally worked for various trade associations in several capacities including as a speech writer, where she made use of her expert communication skills. Using her fanatical grammatical knowledge, she also wrote English textbooks.

Sally is survived by her husband, Leland, her children, Andrew, Katherine Morrison, and Leland and their spouses: Marian; Timothy; and Kathleen, respectively. Sally is also survived by her 8 grandchildren: Andrew Harrs; Sarah Boys; Stephen Harrs; Brian Harrs; Christopher Morrison; Leland Morrison; Emma Harrs; Henry Harrs; and three great-grandchildren: Peyton Harrs; Jeanette Boys; and Evelyn Boys.

A service to celebrate Sally’s life will be held on Thursday, May 1st at 11 a.m. in Our Lady Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Church. Sally was a devoted parishioner of Our Lady Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Church in Arlington, Virginia. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

Our Lady Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Church

2700 19th St S

Arlington, VA 22204