Award-winning Preble choir and musical director passes away at 40

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Preble High School’s choir and musical director Sara Holub has passed away. An obituary for Holub says she died of natural causes on Friday, March 26. She was 40-years-old.

“The first thing we thought of as teachers when we heard about her passing, was how are we going to share this with the students because her legacy was her students,” said Jeff Kline, social studies teacher at Preble High School.

Teaching at Preble High School for six years, Holub directed award-winning musicals and was honored as Outstanding Young Choral Director for the State of Wisconsin.

“She’s really created some incredible programs at Preble, raising the level of musicianship and performance quality within choirs at Preble,” said Megan Sweeney, Director of Bands and Music at Preble High school.

Colleagues and former students of Holub’s says she left a huge impact on the school community.

“She had this ability to make everyone feel seen, no matter who you were, you always belonged in her classroom. She built this really strong community of students and you know, we all still talk to each other almost every day,” said former Preble student, Megan Flood.

Preble teachers, Jeff Kline and Megan Sweeney say Holub was a close friend of theirs. Kline said that if one of them were having a bad day and needed a pick-me-up, they would be there for each other.

“The three of us really became very close friends, very, very close friends and we couldn’t have gotten through the last year of the pandemic with online teaching without each other’s friendship,” Kline said.

“Jeopardy!” viewers will remember Holub from her 2017 appearances in the Teachers Tournament. She made it to the semifinals.

“She played Jeopardy and then immediately got on a flight, flew across the country to join a choir trip that had started and joined up with her students in Boston,” Sweeney said. Sweeney added that this was a huge testament to her dedication, “her abilities, her talent, and her love for kids and spending time with the kids.”

Holub was also an award-winning marksman. She won the Women’s National Championship in the 2020 Civilian Marksmanship Program Home Range Series.

Holub was a board member of the Wisconsin Firearm Owners organization and involved with Junior Service Rifle Team.

“Sara did much more for all of us and we will never be able to be replaced. She is truly one of the great ones. She will truly be missed,” reads a post on the Wisconsin Firearm Owners Facebook page.

On Monday, the school made classes virtual and had counseling available so that everyone could grieve. Kline says students, administrators and staff came together Friday evening for a candlelight vigil outside the door to the music hallway at Preble.

“She had this big booming, beautiful laugh that whenever you heard it, you just knew it was going to be a good day,” said Flood.

A visitation will be held Saturday, April 3 at Fox Valley Lutheran High School Auditorium. It starts at 10 a.m. A memorial service is at noon.

The obituary published by Muehl-Boettcher Funeral Home states a memorial fund will be set up for music education and faith-related causes.

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