Sarah `Sally` Alice Crownhart Hegley

Sarah “Sally” Alice Crownhart Hegley, age 86 of Stoughton, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on December 23, 2024.

She was born September 27, 1938 in Madison, Wisconsin, the second of four daughters to Charles H. Crownhart, Jr. and Marion Palmer Crownhart. She grew up within cheering distance of Camp Randall Stadium, spent her elementary years at Randall School, graduated from Madison West High School in 1956, and earned a BA in Home Economics from the University of Wisconsin. She loved to tell the funny story of somehow failing “Never Fail Fudge” as part of a final exam.

Sally married Theodore “Ted” S. Hegley on June 18, 1960. In 1962, they moved to Montgomery, Alabama during his service in the United States Air Force. Living in Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement had a profound effect on both of them and sparked a lifelong compassion and caring for all people. In 1965 Ted and Sally moved to Baraboo, where they raised their four children.

Her passion for sewing was a large part of Sally’s life. In many ways she was the thread that stitched us all together: her family, her friends, her community. She was a volunteer, Sunday school teacher, goodie baker, tailor extraordinaire, and button crafter, known for her hand-sewn Christmas ornaments. Notably, she designed the first chick-feeding puppet for the International Crane Foundation. She welcomed all neighborhood kids to her home, and many still refer to her as a second Mom or Grandma, always there with a generous ear and loving hug. She made sure we gathered with loved ones every holiday and each summer at her most beloved spot, Crownhart Island, the family property in Solon Springs, Wisconsin. She loved to sit by the lake listening to the birds and sharing family traditions.

Sally is survived by her four children: Douglas Hegley (Monika) of Hastings on Hudson, New York, Jennifer Hegley of Los Angeles, California, Kristin Penegor (Duane) of Madison, and Karin Stake (Sean) of Stoughton; ten beloved grandchildren: Mariah, Maxwell, Nora (Evan), PJ, Thomas, Riley, Paavo, Jackson, Kai, and Soren; her sisters Maryann Turner (Fritz) of Madison, Ginger Brenneis (Brooks) of Madison, and Gretchen Crownhart of Prairie du Sac, as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Theodore S. Hegley, and her parents, Charles and Marion Crownhart. The Hegley family would like to extend gratitude to the staff of Kettle Park Senior Living, Stoughton, and Agrace Hospice Care, Madison for their kindness and support in recent years.

Memorial Services will be held at a later date.

In lieu of gifts, please donate in her honor to the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation or to a children’s charity of your choice.