Michael "Mike" Somma

Michael "Mike" Somma, 83, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, with his daughter at his side, after living with Parkinson's disease. An artist and art educator, Mike was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.

He was predeceased by his wife of more than 50 years, Ruth Somma, who died in 2017. In the days before his death he said of her, "She was the very best."

Mike is survived by his children, Akintunji "Tunji" Somma, Pilar Montalvo (Luis), and Frederick Somma; his grandchildren, Miles and Ella Montalvo; his sisters, Patricia "Pat" Towne (Alan) and Lynn Grace (Larry); and many nieces and nephews.

Raised in Bantam, Connecticut, Mike was the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford in 1963 and made Hartford his professional home. For more than 35 years, he taught art and art history at Hartford Public High School, staying in touch with many students and colleagues long after they left the classroom. He was active in the teachers' union and proud of its work. For decades, he and friends from Hartford Public High School met twice a week at a local "beer garden," as Ruth called it, to talk, debate, and laugh.

Mike designed and built the family home in East Hampton and later served on the design committee for the East Hampton Public Library (1986). Mike was an artist who worked across many mediums, and exhibited his art throughout Connecticut, receiving several awards. In the early 1980's, Mike and Ruth began welcoming foster infants into their home, caring for more than a dozen children and keeping in touch with several families.

A celebration of Mike's life will be held at his favorite gathering place, the Red Rock Café in Hartford, Connecticut, in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders in his memory.