Armin Sommer

1930 - 2021

Armin Sommer

Armin Sommer died peacefully of Parkinson's and natural causes at age 90 on January 26, 2021, surrounded by his loving wife and devoted caregivers at Maplewood Assisted Living in Southport CT. He was a man of tremendous character, intelligence and resilience. Armin was born on April 8, 1930 in Frankfurt, Germany to Rose and Abraham. Eight years later, the family fled the Nazis to emigrate to New York. Like those of many European Jews, Armin's childhood was scarred by multiple losses, tragedies and challenges. He attended high school in the Bronx and graduated from the City College of New York. Armin met the love of his life, Connie Rubin, on a City bus. She noticed her handsome, but shy, commuting partner for a year before they struck up a conversation. After marrying in 1955, they moved to Columbus OH where Armin completed his PhD in Physical Chemistry at Ohio State University. A year later, they settled in rural Brockport NY where he taught for three decades at the State University of New York. Armin was intent upon providing a secure and intellectually alive home for his wife and three children. He and Connie welcomed several college students into their home over the years who participated in family life. Armin supported Connie, while she attained two advanced degrees and throughout her career in education, by cooking breakfast, shuttling children after school and doing the grocery shopping.

Armin was a news hound, reading the NY Times cover-to-cover every day - while savoring his bagel and coffee - and watching Walter Cronkite religiously. He was a voracious reader, from Scientific American to the New Yorker to the NY Times Bestseller List, non-fiction, all while listening to Joan Baez genre music through his headphones. Armin loved a good debate, which he would often initiate by espousing a contrarian viewpoint. He was a centrist Democrat who was very alarmed by DT's rise to power. An avid racquet ball and tennis player, he cared little about the score.

Armin is survived by his wife, Connie Sommer, daughter Lyn Sommer Matis (Louis), sons Mark and Paul Sommer (Karen), and his seven granddaughters Jessica, Elizabeth, Emily, Sophia, Olivia, Leah, and Lauren, who were the pride of his life and loved to dote on him, as well as eight nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to express deep gratitude and appreciation to Maria Gionet and Marisol Medina, Armin's long-time caretakers, the Jewish Congregation of Venice (FL) with Cantor Marci Vitkus, the staff at Maplewood in Southport CT, CT hospice, the staff at Tuscan Gardens Senior Living in Venice FL, and many loyal friends, including Judy, Joe and Ellen.

Due to COVID restrictions, the family will be sitting Shiva in their homes at 7 PM nightly, beginning January 27th, and concluding with a family memorial service on Sunday, January 31st. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Near and Far Aid (nearandfaraid.org), a Southport-based non-profit fighting local poverty by supporting programs that provide life's most basic necessities.