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Sally Doyle Obituary
April 2, 1934 - November 16, 2023
Sally Ann Doyle went to Heaven to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on November 16, 2023.
She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 2, 1934. Her father was a trouble-shooter for Walgreen Drugstores, and the family moved around for his job. Her desire from an early age was to be a ballet dancer, and she studied in Columbia, S.C. and Roanoke, VA. She was baptized in the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia when she was 12 years old.
Sally Ann attended Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia for three years. She danced professionally in an outdoor symphonic drama about the American Revolution entitled "The Common Glory," where she met Peter Reese Doyle, whom she married on August 13, 1955. They were missionaries with the Episcopal Church in Liberia, West Africa for several years, before moving to Basel, Switzerland for Peter's doctoral studies in theology. Their son Jonathan was born in Basel. Peter served in the Episcopal pastorate at churches in Leesburg, VA, where their daughter Susan was born, and later in Rock Hill, SC.
They joined the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) at its founding in Birmingham, AL, and subsequently served churches there and in Auburn, AL, in Nashville, TN, and in Opelika, AL. Sally Ann completed her bachelor's degree at Auburn University, taught ballet in Opelika, conducted the Childrens' Choir at Trinity Presbyterian Church and sang with the East Alabama Civic Chorale as well as her church choir.
Her bright and cheerful spirit encouraged her family and her friends.
Sally Ann is survived by her husband, Peter Reese Doyle, her son, Jonathan and his wife, Kristin, her daughter, Susan and her husband, Kevin, her grandchildren, Frances Chan and her husband, Joe, Constance Bleeker and her husband, Maxim, Edward Doyle, Alexandra Purvis-Smith and her husband, Josh, Ransom Purvis, and her great-grandson, Oleg Bleeker. She was preceded in death by her great-granddaughter, Lucy Bleeker.
Her memorial service will be conducted at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Opelika, AL, on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 12 noon.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Sally Doyle
3 Entries
Elizabeth Carlovitz Holtam
January 4, 2024
Sally Ann and Peter Doyle were our next door neighbors at Cuttington College in Liberia in 1959 for two years. We discovered that I had seen them both perform in The Common Glory in Williamsburg while visiting my sister in Newport News. I was born in Opelika when there was not a hospital in Auburn, where my father was a professor for over 40 years. We visited them once many years ago, when Sally Ann's mother was living with them in the house on Chewacla Road, and later at the Greek brothers' restaurant in Auburn. But the most memorable visit occurred at Leesburg VA, when my husband Jordan was asked by Peter to speak at his church. Jordan presented each lady who attended the meeting a piece of authentic Kisi "pennies", twists of iron money still used as currency in Liberia and Sierra Leone. One lady wrote us that she "invested" her iron money, and it returned $1000! Alison Englerth Harries informed me today of the death, as well, of Peter. My condolences to all the family. Beth Holtam
Margaret Wood
December 1, 2023
What a lovely tribute to Sally Ann, such a special person who always saw the best in everyone, saw the bright side of things and seemed to always be smiling. Having gotten to know her by singing with her in two groups, she will be greatly missed. Our East Alabama Civic Chorale will certainly miss her very much. May Peter (who was a consummate gentleman and such a loving husband) find some comfort in faith, family and friends who also loved Sally and may our Divine Creator grant him and the rest of Sally´s family the courage, strength and all they need to remember the good times, for she certainly was a delightful lady. She made life better!
Jim Sikes.
November 30, 2023
Sympathy Peter and family. What a beautiful spirit Sally Ann was. A blessing to have known.
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