Mrs. Lenhoff )
Sarah Lenhoff was a respected teacher at Detroit Country Day School — confirmed by a drawer full of letters from students and parents.
"She was proud of that," said her son, Alan Lenhoff, director of project management/corporate communication at the Detroit Media Partnership.
Mrs. Lenhoff died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, after a short illness. She was 89.
Born Feb. 3, 1922, in Windsor to Russian immigrants, Sarah Perlmutter studied social work and psychology at Wayne State University.
It was there she met Sidney "Sid" Lenhoff. They wed in 1943.
Before settling into her 15-year career with Country Day, Mrs. Lenhoff worked for the Red Cross, taught in Ferndale and pursued social work.
Through it all, she focused on encouraging others.
"I think she always had great respect for everyone's abilities and tried to nurture that," her son said.
Outside of work, Mrs. Lenhoff was drawn to the outdoors — hiking, tennis, gardening — and urged her children to follow suit. "I know she had me ice skating at age 3," said Lenhoff.
Piano was another passion. "Even at age 89 she was able to sit down with music she had never seen and start playing," her son said.
Other survivors include a daughter, Gail Lenhoff Vroon; and two grandchildren. Her husband died in 2008.
Services will be private.
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