Sara Casey

1949 - 2018

Sara Gibbs Casey passed away Tuesday, May 8, 2018, after a courageous battle with multiple sclerosis and various cancers. She was born Dec. 14, 1949, daughter of industrialist John F. Casey Jr. and Margaret (Nee) Casey, of Pittsburgh. She was the sister of John F. Casey III, who passed away in 2012, and William L. Casey (Lorraine Taylor). She is survived by her brother, Bill; sons, Alexander B. Griffith and Burlton O. Griffith II (Tara Gainfort). A graduate of Mount Mercy Academy, a classically trained opera singer who studied under Madam Juliette Nadia Boulanger, proficient on the piano, guitar and Irish harp; a transfer from The Juilliard School, Sara earned her bachelor's degree in music from Barnard College (NY), master's degree in fine arts from Carnegie Mellon University, and master's and Ph.D. in historical musicology from the University of Pittsburgh. Some of Sara's notable publications include, "The Drummond Missal: A Preliminary Investigation Into Its Historical, Liturgical, and Musicological Significance in Pre-Norman Ireland", "Climbing the Ivory Tower" and "Songs for The Peregrini." A lover of horses, gardens and the environment, a resident of Sewickley, she was an adjunct professor of music history at the University of Pittsburgh and, for a time, director of development for several non-profit organizations in Sewickley and Pittsburgh.
A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday, May 18, in St. James Church, Sewickley. Inurnment will be private. Announcement by COPELAND'S OF SEWICKLEY.
in lieu of flowers, family suggests memorial contributions to the Audubon Society of Western PA or the Heinz History Center in Sara's memory.