In Loving (and Joyful) Memory of Sally A. Kasper

Sally A. Kasper, artist, collector, and curator of beauty, passed away peacefully of natural causes on November 8, 2025, at the John & Orpha Blair Hospice House, surrounded by her family and the original artwork of her lifelong best friend, Anne (Finley) Fallin. The scene was so very Sally: love, laughter, art and color everywhere you looked.

Sally grew up in North Warren and spent nearly her entire life in Warren, PA, filling every inch of it with art, energy, and enthusiasm. After graduating from The Ray Vogue School in Chicago (later the Illinois Institute of Art), she enjoyed all forms of visual expression — paint, clay, pottery, and anything else she could get her hands on. Her small unfired clay sculptures earned critical acclaim, her bold gestural paintings pulsed with vitality, and her “chard-work” pottery was, in true Sally fashion, both colorful and delightfully offbeat.

She was famous for her discerning eye, and not just in galleries. Her homes were living works of art, full of mismatched furniture, daring color choices, and endless warmth. As she once told her son, “The first thing you do is hang the art. The rest of the room will figure itself out.” (And somehow, it always did.)

When she wasn’t creating art, she was championing others who did. Sally founded The Sill House Gallery in the 1980s, giving local and regional artists a welcoming place to exhibit and sell their work. Later, as manager of North Village Gallery, she continued her life’s mission as a joyful matchmaker, connecting artists with people who needed their art but just didn’t know it yet. Alongside her late husband, David Kasper, Sally also spent many volunteer hours supporting the Crary Art Gallery, helping shape it into the beloved Warren institution it is today.

Sally leaves behind a family who adored her: sons Robert C. Dilks, Jr. (wife Jennifer) of Warren, and Jason P. Dilks (wife Allison) of Oil City; granddaughters Bailey Blair (husband Steffen) and Kelsey Dilks (fiancé Payton Stewart); grandson Jackson Dilks; and great-granddaughter Sofie Blair, all of whom have inherited a bit of her creative and colorful spirit. She is also survived by her brother William Dahl (wife Becky), two nieces, and a world of friends who were lucky enough to know her.

She was preceded in death by her husband David Kasper, her parents William and Hellen Dahl, her sister Carol Goldberg, and a dearest friend Anne Putnam Mallinson: all of whom, we imagine, are currently helping her redecorate the great beyond and plan a big homecoming party.

Friends will be received on Friday, November 14, 2025, from 10:00 to 11:00 A.M. at the Donald E. Lewis Funeral Home, Inc., 304 East Street, Warren, PA, followed by a memorial service officiated by Reverend Tara Lamont Eastman, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. E-mail condolences may be sent by visiting www.lewisfuneralhomeinc.com. 

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff of Warren Manor and the Warren County Hospice Team for their kindness and compassion. Memorial contributions may be made to the Crary Art Gallery, www.craryartgallery.org/donate , or Hospice of Warren County, www.hospiceofwarrencounty.org/donate.