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Sally Cross Horne

Date of Death: August 7, 2024

Date of Birth: May 25, 1946

Biography:

We celebrate the life of a woman who was not only a mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, aunt and friend, but also a gentle spirit whose heart overflowed with love for all creatures. Her deep connection with animals, particularly horses, reflected the kindness and compassion that defined her life. On August 7, a Wednesday, Sally passed away peacefully surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

Sally Cross Horne was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts, in 1946, to Prentice and Elizabeth (Olsen) Horne. She retained fond memories of her childhood home, Deerfield, Massachusetts, where she lived until high school with her parents and her beloved siblings, Frederick (Jed), Caroline (Carole), and James (Jim). Deerfield, a historic village with a boarding school amid vast fields of corn and pumpkins and shade tobacco, was a source of freedom for Sally—a place where she could ride her bike all day long and enjoy adventures with her friends. 

For a few years the Hornes were one of many families on the faculty of Deerfield Academy who shared their home with small groups of boarding students. Sally's father taught geometry, bookkeeping, coached baseball and was co-director of the Admissions Department. Sally was enrolled in the Bement School for kindergarten, came up the street to the Old Deerfield Grammar School for first through fifth grade and then returned to Bement for sixth and seventh. 

In 1959, Prent Horne was named headmaster of the Wardlaw Country Day School in Plainfield, New Jersey, and Sally completed her high school education at the Hartridge School, which was later merged with Wardlaw. The move from Deerfield was difficult for Sally, but despite the challenges of change, she formed many dear friendships in Plainfield that lasted a lifetime.

Summers and ski vacations on Little Lake Sunapee in New London, New Hampshire, were some of the happiest times in Sally's life. She was able to ride and show horses all summer long and soon had the walls of her bedroom decorated with blue ribbons. Betty and Prent eventually retired to the lake house, and Sally's memories of her own younger years were enriched by the joy of watching her own children, Todd and Kelly, relish their visits with Grandma and Grandpa. 

Sally attended Wilson College in Pennsylvania, earning degrees in English and art, though she made no secret of wishing she had gone to an equestrian academy instead, a yearning that was vetoed by her parents. Her college years were marked by the formation of additional lifelong friendships, and her passion for painting and other forms of creative self-expression blossomed during this time. 

Sally met and married Henry (Hank) Conklin in New London. Their first home together was in Durham, New Hampshire, while Hank completed graduate work at the University of New Hampshire. They soon added Todd Henry Conklin to the household.  Hank's job took them to Millinocket, Maine, where their family continued to grow with the birth of Kelly Elizabeth Conklin. Sally's family also included one cat and two dogs. Hank's career in the pulp and paper industry brought the young family to Ashland, Maine, followed by Sandy Hook, Connecticut, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and back to Connecticut where they settled in Newtown. During all of these moves Sally worked as an educator. She did a stint with the Institute of Children's Literature and finished her career as a massage therapist. 

Sally and Hank summered in a vacation home on Islesboro, off the coast of Maine, a geographical constant amid all those career moves. Sally and Hank had many loving years together before separating, and they continued to gather for holidays, even as Todd and Kelly reached adulthood and began raising families of their own. 

Sally's love of animals inspired her move to Hartland, Vermont, with a menagerie that included two horses, two dogs and a cat. She built a barn on her property, a big step toward fulfilling her long-simmering dream of having her own farm. She was a member of the Green Mountain Horse Association and very involved with equine eventing. To be nearer to Todd and Kelly and her grandchildren, soon numbering five, she relocated to a beautiful spread in Woolwich, Maine. She continued to train and ride horses and became an active participant in the lives of her grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She never missed a birthday party. 

Semi-retired, but still running the farm, Sally was also an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick (UUCB) where she served on the Capital Campaign Committee that raised money to build an amazing new church after the old one burned down. She found meaningful opportunities to give back to those around her, as a member of the Pastoral Care Team and the choir. Choral music had been a passion of Sally's throughout her adult life, culminating with her participation in the Midcoast Community Chorus as well as the UUCB choir. She sang solos at weddings and funerals for families and friends who knew to ask. Her rendition of "The Rose" was a special favorite. 

Sally's life was defined by her deep love for animals and nature, her kindness, and her gentle spirit. She will be remembered for the joy she found in the simplest moments and for the beauty she brought to the world around her.

Sally was predeceased by her parents Betty and Prent Horne and her brother Jim Horne. She is survived by her siblings Jed Horne and Carole Boyd, her son Todd Conklin and his wife Claire Conklin, her daughter Kelly Brochu and her five loving grandchildren Jacob, Maxon and Shealyn Brochu, Olivia and George Conklin, and her dear friend Steve Black of Orr's Island, Maine.

Rest in peace Mom, Sally, Gran, Glamma. Your spirit will forever run free, alongside the horses you loved, the people whose lives you touched and in the nature you cherished.

A memorial service is planned at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 1 Middle Street, Brunswick, on October 5th, 2024 at 2pm.