Connie Sommer

Connie Sommer, born on July 15, 1932, in the Bronx to Alice and Jack Rubin, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2026, at the age of 93 in Southport, Connecticut. Raised alongside her siblings Claire and Ed, she carried the wisdom, caring spirit, spunk, and resilience that defined her throughout her long life.

After graduating from Hunter College, Connie taught first grade in Harlem. She met the love of her life, Armin, on a city bus, and they married in 1955. Together they moved to Columbus, Ohio, where Armin completed his PhD in Chemistry and where their three children—Lyn, Mark, and Paul—were born. The family later settled in rural Brockport, New York, where Connie earned advanced degrees in counseling at the State University of New York.

Connie devoted her career to the care and well-being of children and families. She worked as a counselor and director of a school for emotionally disturbed children, and in her seventies and eighties she served as a life coach in Venice, Florida, before moving to Southport to be closer to family. A proud progressive and political activist, she supported numerous local and national campaigns. She was also a dedicated practitioner and teacher of mindfulness and meditation. Connie found joy in reading Jewish identity fiction and history, playing duplicate bridge without concern for rankings, and sharing long conversations over coffee with friends and family. She was especially cherished by her seven granddaughters—Jessica, Elizabeth, Emily, Sophia, Olivia, Leah, and Lauren—who brought her immense pride and joy, and she was delighted by her six great-grandchildren: Evie, Jolie, Ava, Chloe, Nora, and Bennett.

She is survived by her daughter Lyn (Louis), sons Mark (Julie) and Paul (Karen), and her loving extended family.