Atalay "Atilla" Sarar

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Atalay “Atilla” Sarar, 75 of Garretson died Thursday, December 18, 2014 at Garretson.

Visitation with the family present will begin at 5:00 PM with a Time of Sharing at 7:00 PM Monday, December 22, 2014 at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Garretson.

Atilla Sarar was born April 15, 1939 in Istanbul, the first son in a family of six. His father was a mounted policeman and his mother, the daughter of olive growers. As a young student he loved art, poetry, and sports of all kinds. He ran up and down the hills of Istanbul selling newspapers and sat at the knee of Turkish philosophers. In high school he participated in Junior Olympics, boxing in Sweden and Tehran.

After a short time in Italy, he enlisted in the Turkish navy as a member of the Turkish special forces and served from about 1957 - 1975. He also worked in interior design and had acting roles in Turkish theater and adventure films.
Atilla moved to Munich, Germany in 1973 where he met Ruth Hebbert on a train. He worked at the Afga camera company as a machinist while Ruth was a translator at Messerschmitt. On December 28, 1976, they married in Scotland, South Dakota. In 1978, they moved to the United States and to Garretson in the fall of 1979. Atilla was employed by Schwarz Manufacturing, later SMC, on the north side of Sioux Falls until his retirement. He also enjoyed helping on projects at the farm near Scotland. He sort of learned to drive and work cattle, he helped with clearing trees, and painting. He greatly enjoyed pinochle with the Hebbert uncles and cousins but using “Garretson rules.” He liked sharing stories with people everywhere.

Atilla enjoyed life in Garretson and the peace of a small town. His first experience with football and baseball were in Garretson. He was a huge fan, taking great pleasure in the accomplishments of his own daughters but also in those of all Garretson children. He learned to look forward to April and Twins baseball– he was a hopeful man. He liked South Dakota winters, his beat-up Honda, politics, reading, lilacs in the spring, the parks, and the beauty of the seasons. Dogs were a constant in his life, both in Turkey and in Garretson. He would drive the Honda with two Dalmatians looking out the windows and little kids would point and exclaim “Dalmatians!!!” Atilla also drew portraits of many Garretsonians and enjoyed working with wood with his Garretson brother, Jerry McClain.

He was always ready to encourage young runners, wrestlers, and football players. For him, they were all his children. Special for Atilla among these children were Shannon and Chad Frewaldt. He enjoyed the camaraderie of road trips to football games and wrestling matches (it was not easy to sit next to him at a wrestling match as he was always moving and giving tips). In this country he learned much that is truly American, but kept his Turkish accent and charm.
He missed the sea, fresh fish, raki, ripe figs, Turkish music, his Turkish family, and his country, and was fortunate to travel back frequently. Atilla loved traveling with his wife, whether it was to a foreign country like Hungary or just to the Palisades State Park.

Atilla died on December 18, 2014. Atilla is survived by his wife Ruth, daughters Sila in Istanbul, Colleen in Minneapolis, and Ariana in Washington DC. He was a lucky man with two families on two continents: brothers Osman and Gengis and sisters Sevim Bostan Yalciner and Selma Turunç. His American siblings Barbara and Jim Jessen of Glendive, Montana; Roger and Deanna Hebbert of Longmont, Colorado; Marcia and Bob Canter of Denver, Colorado; and Julie and Scott Muirhead of Presho, South Dakota. At heart, Atilla considered many of you his brothers and sisters. We are most grateful for sharing our lives.