Sally Jane Lerch

“Until we meet again, may God bless you as He has blessed me.” —Elvis Presley... (click lower left button to hear a song dedicated to Sally, produced by her son-in-law, Glen).

Obituary - Sally Jane Lerch

Sally Jane Lerch, born April 11, 1935, in Flint, Michigan, passed away peacefully at age 91 on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while receiving hospice care from Hospice of the West, at the home of her son, Scott McKown, and daughter-in-law Ruth Stone, in Litchfield Park, Arizona. 

Born to Archie and Helen “Marie” Annibal, Sally moved with her family from Michigan to Arizona as a child and made Tucson her home. Sally was preceded in death by her beloved husband of thirty-four years, William Edwin Lerch, in November 2016, following an active and memorable retirement inclusive of building a gorgeous home in Sun City Grande, Surprise, AZ, making incredible stained glass sculptures, driving their golf cart to go grocery shopping, journeying abroad, and touring the USA in their motorhome; frequently relaxing at five-star timeshares across California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, and Florida. She was also preceded in death by her first husband and the father of her five children, Joe McKown, who passed away at the age of 88 in September 2022.
Sally approached life with rigor and glamour. Her Catholic faith remained central, attending Mass faithfully every weekend, including wherever she traveled. She loved to be “on the go” and was always up for an adventure. If there was music playing in the background, you would find Sally dancing and shaking those hips! She rarely stepped out without styled hair, coordinated makeup, fine jewelry, matching footwear and handbags, polished nails, and stylish ensembles from Macy’s, usually gifted by her oldest daughter, Vickie. Sally was that 90-year-old who wanted the newest iPhone and iPad, working through her technology frustrations, as her children were well aware of, always texting and sharing hundreds of photos of her family with everyone. Alongside her devotion as a daughter, wife, sister, friend, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Sally built a notable career with the IRS Criminal Investigation Service, earning multiple professional honors and sincere respect from the federal agents she worked for. A survivor of breast and kidney cancer, with tireless determination to live a full life, Sally walked faster than most people, crocheted beautiful blankets, loved to read a good book, adored Elvis, played any card game like a professional, enjoyed good food, and most of all, was fulfilled when she hosted parties and cooked large meals for her family.

“Honor your mother” - Exodus 20:12

Sally is survived by her five children: Ben McKown [Children: Landon McKown - preceded in death / Widow: Erin, Mandy McKown, Grandchildren: Rylan, Braedon] • Vickie Jo Tusa Harpel [Spouse: Brian, Children: Cassi and Craig Madden, Jayme and Richard Zimmel, Tracey and Anthony Lisacki, Grandchildren: Jaime, Abel; Justin, Travis; Veda, Salvador] • Guy McKown • Scott McKown [Spouse: Ruth Stone, Children: Kyler and Katherine McKown, Grandchild: Lucas] • Shelley McKown [Spouse: Glen Liljeberg, Children: Parker, Payden].

Sally was an excellent mother with high standards. She was strong willed, never holding back from what was on her mind. Favorite sayings included "you are just like your father," or "God is always watching, kiddo" when she was upset at one of them, which was often enough considering she raised five independent children who also enjoy standing their ground. At the heart of her life though, and what kept her going to 91 years of age, was her children and family.

Sally always enjoyed her oldest son Ben's outdoor adventures as he traveled across the country and across Arizona. Ben was her "movie-star" looking son, she always said that he could've been famous just for his looks and personality, although he had found his talent for designing pools. Sally and Ben were able to take a cross-country road trip together this past summer, and it meant the world to Sally. She enjoyed shopping and going to lunch with her oldest daughter, Vickie. A big part of Sally's life, especially during the last 15 years when she could no longer host herself, were all the family gatherings hosted by Vickie and her three daughters in Tucson. Sally was always grateful to be invited to everything they did, and they always did things together as a family, which Sally treasured. Sally's relationship with the entire Rodriguez family was also extremely important to her.

Sally loved watching country music award shows, movies, and football with all of her kids, especially Scott and Guy, always making enough food for leftovers to send home with them. Trips to Laughlin and Vegas with Guy, Scott, Ruth, and Vickie were always special to her. She couldn't wait for the next trip. Guy was her "buddy" and best travel companion. She loved road trips with Guy because he would always be there to help her and make her laugh. She would try to change his mind on things and he would say "okay Mother," with his usual smirk. Sally trusted Guy, his honesty, and his protective nature toward her, which always made her feel safe. She always said Scott and Vickie were the lucky ones on these trips, which made her happy.

Of all her kids, she thought Scott had the biggest heart of gold, always helping people without question, and a loyal, true soul. Sally was so proud of Kyler, Scott's son, both his intelligence and making his own career, building a family of his own. Scott's grandbaby Lucas brought unlimited joy to Sally. All she talked about was how "the baby" was the best thing to happen to our family in a long time, and she was thrilled for Scott and his family. Sally raised Shelley, her "oops" baby at age 38, to never settle for anything less than great whether it was grades, school life, activism, friends, career, and motherhood. Sally always knew Shelley would take care of her, and do what she needed. Sally was very proud of Shelley's sons, Parker and Payden, both engineers, chemical making semi-conductors and structural, building nuclear power plants. Sally's trips to Chicago the last six years to visit Shelley and her son-in-law Glen, were filled with lots of flowers and gardening, Michelin 3 star restaurants (always cleaning her plate - she could eat!), dive foodie joints with great food, theatre shows, Lake Michigan boat tours and bus tours, museum hopping, and of course, her annual Trump Tower photo shoot after eating a hotdog at her favorite spot along the Chicago River. 

Sally was the eldest of five siblings with four brothers: Robert ("Bob") Annibal - preceded in death / [Spouse: Dianne] • Jack Annibal – preceded in death / [Spouse: Delores - preceded in death, Children: John and Kathryn Annibal, Grandchildren: Austin, Sarah] • Ronnie Annibal, Sr. / [Spouse: Ethel, “Ippy,” Children: Lisa and Mark Shumaker, Ronnie and Valerie Annibal, and Tracy Annibal, Grandchildren: Amber, Ryan, Dustin, and Casey; Nicole, Crystal, Wade and Arya; Kaylee and Madison (Sally treasured having the same birthday as Madison) • Gary Annibal, Sr. / [Spouse: Linda, Children: Lynnette and Lincoln Lehman, “Bear” Gary Jr. and Christina Annibal, Grandchildren: Willow; Colton, Sydney, Kianna]. As the oldest, Sally was always a helicopter-type sister with her brothers, always wanting to know what they were up to, where they were going, and if she could come along. She always bragged about their families, and their success. She had many special memories with her brothers and their families, especially getaways at Roosevelt, visiting Bob in Denver, family dinners at each other's homes, and always asking her brother Jack to turn the air conditioning down when she visited his and Delores' beautiful home in the foothills.

Please Join Us To Celebrate Sally's Life

VIEWING will be held on Friday, September 25, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Bring’s Broadway Chapel, 6910 East Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85710. 

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