Sara Joan Arko Davis, 60, went to be with Jesus on Thursday, September 10th, 2026.

Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1966; Sara was the daughter of Joan and Louis Arko and the youngest of 9 children. After the passing of her Mom, Sara moved with her Dad to South Carolina, where she graduated high school and later from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in Public Relations and Advertising Journalism in 1988.

John and Sara met at First Presbyterian Church. They married in 1995, embarking on an adventure that led from Columbia, to Atlanta, to Charleston, and back to Columbia, adding members to their family along the way.

Time with her family was one of Sara’s greatest joys. She poured herself into her children’s education, homeschooling them all through elementary and middle school. She researched curriculum extensively, continuously seeking the best learning methods for each of her children at each stage of development and continuously integrating life lessons, service to others, and stories from the Bible with their education. She expressed her love and appreciation of art and music early in their education, facilitating piano and voice lessons, playing recordings of classical music and musicals, and teaching various art techniques. She and John taught their family to care for nature, marvelling at everything from praying mantises and birds to sunsets. It would be difficult to say where education ended and life began; for Sara learning and living were inextricably intertwined.

Sara loved sharing her interests with her children, and her creativity expressed itself in countless projects, including elaborate costumes for plays and events, performances in community theatre, and Vacation Bible School skits presented with hilarity and whipped cream.

She always had a spirit of discovery, and loved planning countless activities and adventures for her family to experience the wonder and wildness of life in this beautiful creation that God made for us. Sara loved being outside, enjoying the vigor of yardwork, as evidenced by the prolific flowers and plants that surrounded her home. Even late into her cancer, she loved watching and identifying the variety of birds outside her window. She saw the sunsets and birds she loved as evidence of a creative God, and strove daily to know him better. She was continually in awe at the beauty and wonder of God’s creations.

Sara’s faith permeated all her actions and decisions. When she learned that her disease was terminal, her prayers were that God would work through the trials to strengthen her relationships and draw her and everyone around her closer to Jesus, a prayer that God answered in abundance.

Sara dedicated her life to striving to honor her Lord Jesus Christ by committing herself to her husband, her children, her friends, and to service in her church and community. She had a special place in her heart for the elderly and the vulnerable of society. She was not one to always follow the crowd or conventional wisdom and often danced to her own beautiful tune inspired by her faith in Jesus. Sara encouraged others to do what's right instead of what's easy or popular and often discovered her own creative way of doing things that were a combination of her common sense practicality, her frugal nature, her willingness to explore options, and a creativity that allowed her to think outside the box. Sara was a passionate, smart and talented person who lived life honestly and with deep feelings. She embodied the biblical teachings of considering others more highly than yourself and living a life of serving others.

She follows many loved ones in death, including her mother, Mary Joan Schaefer Arko; her father, Louis Jacob Arko; her step-mother, Margaret “Peg” Frame Hawisher Arko; her grandmother Clare “Gar” Shaefer; and her brother, Mike Arko.

She is survived by her beloved husband, John Davis; her children, Cecily Davis, Claire Harry (Nate), John S. Davis, Chloe Davis; her sisters Joli, Becky, Laura, Marien, Karen and her brothers Alex and Steve.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to:

• Lighthouse for Life (Local outreach for victims of human trafficking):https://lighthouseforlife.org
• Charlotte Foundation for Molecular Medicine (Research and financial support for cancer patients seeking integrative treatments): For info and how to contribute, contact Dr. Speight, email: front@cfwellness.com
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• A celebration of Sara Davis and memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 26th, 2026 at 2:00PM at Blythewood Presbyterian Church (Address: 441 Rimer Pond Road, Blythewood SC). A reception and family visitation will follow the service.