Sally Zuck McBain

Nov.10, 1947 - April 28, 2024

Sally Zuck McBain Passed away peacefully on April 28, 2024, at The Dalles Health and Rehab Center in The Dalles, OR where she had been in Comfort Care since early January following a stroke just prior to Christmas.

Sally was born on November 10, 1947, in Erie, PA to Clark and Aleta Zuck. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth A. McBain of The Dalles, two sons, Matthew Jones and his wife Denise of Barcelona, Spain and Timothy Jones of Seattle, WA with two grandchildren Nordika and Vienna Jones, and their mother Christine Choiniere, and siblings Martin Zuck and Todd Zuck of Fairview, PA and Christine Jacobsen of San Antonio, TX. She also leaves her cherished dog Mitzi.

Following high school graduation in Erie, Sally attended three years at Mount Union College in Alliance, OH where she met and married William Jones. While he attended Case Western Reserve Medical School in Cleveland, Sally obtained her BA degree in Sociology at Cleveland State University. Following William’s internship at the University of Virginia Medical School, the couple moved to Zuni, NM for William’s two-year stint with the Public Health Service on the Zuni Reservation. It was there that Sally developed a deep affection for the Southwest and Native American culture.

Following her divorce, Sally pursued extensive Masters level coursework in Gerontology at the University of Oregon in Eugene. She then began a 25-year career in Senior Services including Counselor at a senior service program in Ontario, OR, co-owner with her then-husband Michael Sirrine, of MLE In-Home Services in La Grande, OR, nine years as Executive Director of the Areay Agency on Aging in The Dalles and founding Director of the Wyoming Gerontological Association in Casper, WY. During her years in Oregon, Sally wrote a bi-monthly column for several local newspapers and hosted weekly radio programs.

Sally and Ken were married on December 28, 1993, in The Dalles. The couple moved to Carson City, NV in 1995 and then Casper in 2001 where Sally worked with the American Cancer Society along with the WGA. Both Ken and Sally retired in 2004 and relocated to Madoc in Ontario, Canada where most of Ken’s family lived. They returned to Erie, PA in late 2009 to help care for Sally’s parents. Following their passing, they returned to The Dalles in 2010.

Sally always considered the Columbia River Gorge her home.

Sally was a lifetime artist (watercolors), photographer and writer. She blogged about aging for several years and published a most unique book - Soul Portrait - Improving Quality of Life by Making Aging Personal, published by Dog-Ear Publishing in 2012. Along with her book, she has more than 200 poems copyrighted with the Library of Congress.

There will be no memorial services with cremation provided by Bateman Carroll Funeral Home in Gresham, OR. Her husband and sons will disperse her ashes at an undisclosed location. If anyone wishes to donate in her memory, her favorite organizations were The Audobon Society and Nature Conservancy.