ANSONIA-DERBY — Sturgis and Madeline Sobin’s Valley roots ran deep, making their mark through decades of community and civic service.
From Madeline teaching Valley kids in the classroom to Stugis serving the City of Ansonia as Mayor, the couple dedicated their lives to making the lives of those around them better.
That’s why the late couple’s surviving children recently decided to honor their parent’s lifelong commitment to the Valley.
Siblings Sturgis Sobin, Cathy Szanto and Andrea Adam established the Sturgis A. and Madeleine Martin Sobin Family Fund at the Valley Community Foundation.
The endowed fund will provide annual support in perpetuity to benefit the students and teachers of both Ansonia High School and Emmett O’Brien Technical High School.
“The support both schools receive can be utilized to support unfunded teacher projects, provide scholarship support to a graduating senior, support project expenses for students with financial needs or assist teachers to further their education,” said VCF Donor Services & Communications Officer John Ready.
VCF President/CEO Sharon Closius said VCF is honored to steward the fund geared to ensure the Sobins’ legacy lives on.
“Lifelong Valley residents Sturgis and Madeleine Sobin grew roots in the community that ran deep and were meaningfully intertwined with the lives of those around them,” Closius said in a press release. “As a former Mayor for the City of Ansonia and an exemplary volunteer, respectively, their success as community-minded leaders in the Valley came about not only through their natural gifts and hard work, but also through the support they received from the community.”
Early on in their lives, the Sobins were drawn to helping others.
Sturgis Sobin, a Korean War veteran, was well-known and nationally recognized for working at his father’s antique furniture restoration business. He served as Ansonia’s Mayor from 1971 – 1973. In addition to gardening, cooking, golf and preservation of local historical memorabilia, Sobin served on Griffin Hospital’s Board of Directors and was an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts and Derby Historical Society.
Madeline Sobin taught third grade at Bradley School in Derby, and was recognized as Teacher of the Year. A lifelong reader, she was a longtime volunteer at the Ansonia Public Library, and was honored with the Luminary Award from Birmingham Health Group Services, now BHcare, for her involvement in the organization’s creation and 30 years of volunteerism.
Numerous other awards followed, including the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Gold Seal Award and Valley United Way’s Charles Flynn Humanitarian Award.
The Sobins were proud to see all five of their children graduate from college, and benefit early on from scouting and library programs. Their grown children learned that creating an endowment in their parents’ memory could benefit others for generations to come.
“We know this fund will open doors to new opportunities for others,” said Cathy Szantos on the family’s behalf. “We believe this will lead to the enrichment and betterment of the Valley and we have faith that it will also encourage the next generation of charitable givers. It is our way of reciprocating the support that we received from the community at critical moments in our lives. We cannot thank VCF enough for their assistance in helping us memorialize our parents’ vision. We are excited to learn how this fund will be used by the students and teachers that it is dedicated to serving.”
Ansonia Superintendent of Schools Joseph DiBacco, reached by email, expressed his gratitude to the Sobin family.
“I am so impressed with the family of Sturgis and Madeleine Sobin who chose to memorialize the spirit of their parents by establishing a fund to support Ansonia teachers and students,” DiBacco said. “I wish I had known these two community leaders, who understood the power of education and educators. We hope these funds will spark further learning for the recipients of this fund, and we are forever grateful.”
EOB Principal Laurie Lebouthillier concurred, saying: “We are so grateful to be included. This will definitely make a difference in teaching and learning.”
