Sara Dee Tepfer

Sara Dee Tepfer, 66, died Monday, Nov. 10, 2014, as she wished, in home hospice in her sleep in Durham, N.C. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014, at Clements Funeral Home in Durham, N.C. Some "go gently into that good night," Sara always made her own path. Sara was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Miriam and Barry Tepfer. Her father was in the family metal spinning business and a private pilot; her mother was a nurse and later became a social worker. Sara was the third but tallest of the four Tepfer girls: Lynda Carlson (husband George), Diane and Freda. Sara was a role model for living a full life: she has been a property manager, a car mechanic, a small business owner, a CPA, a social worker. She explored the world and lived around the country: Brooklyn N.Y., Madison, Wis., San Jose, Calif., West Fork and Fayetteville, Ark., and Durham, N.C. It was in the foothills of the Ozarks that Sara raised her sons and married Joseph Carrao, her dear husband for more than a quarter of a century. Initially pursuing a career as an archaeologist at the University of Wisconsin, Sara earned her BA in 1975, MBA in 1985 and masters of social work 1997, all at the University of Arkansas. She was a certified public accountant and she obtained her social work license in 1999. Ms. Tepfer served as a social worker for the Durham Veterans Administration, and coordinator for the Geriatrics Clinic and Geriatric Education Center. Sara's interests were aging in place, families as care partners, promoting multidisciplinary approaches to care and mentoring new geriatric social workers. She helped initiate a project to reduce re-hospitalization and premature institutionalization of high risk elders. From Durham, Sara and Joseph frequently traveled to dote on her four marvelous grands. Older son, Seth, lives with his wife, Pam Eidson, and sons, Jex Raven Eidson Tepfer and Zyle Caspian Eidson Tepfer, in Atlanta, Ga. Younger son, Enoch Moeller, lives with his wife, Christina White Moeller, their daughters, Samantha Mae and Eris Helena, and Sara and Joseph's beloved dog, Skipper, in Lenoir, N.C. Sara was a proud mother, a joyous grandmother, a patient sister, a devoted friend, a world traveler, a role model and a mentor. She was raised in the Jewish tradition and might agree with Sholem Aleichem's meme: "No matter how bad things get, you got to go on living, even if it kills you." In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Eno River Assocation, 4404 Guess Road, Durham, NC 27712, www.enoriver.org; the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, P.O. Box 10407, Fayetteville, AR 72703, www.bgozarks.org; or a charity of your choice. The family would enjoy any stories or anecdotes you care to share; view and add to an online obituary and memory book at www.clementsfuneralservice.com. The family is being assisted by Clements Funeral Service Inc. in Durham, N.C.