Sara Augenbraun

1953 - 2025

Sara Augenbraun
08/06/2025
Sara Lou (Spielman) Augenbraun, 72, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones. Despite bravely battling stage 4 medullary thyroid cancer and other illnesses over the years, she never let illness define her life.
Sara grew up in Manhattan, where she loved ice skating in Central Park, riding her bicycle, and developed her lifelong passion for photography. She graduated from Hunter College High School where she excelled academically, on the basketball court, and as President of the Athletic Association.
After high school, Sara attended her beloved Vassar College (Class of '74). In her first year of college, she met the love of her life, Chuck, during a chance encounter at a Williams College mixer. After graduating from Villanova Law School (Class of '77), she served as a judicial clerk to the Supreme Court of Delaware, then as an associate at a large Philadelphia law firm, and later as in-house counsel for Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO). Following a move to Connecticut in 1985, Sara pursued her real passion in life, photography. She studied photography at Silvermine School of Art, the International Center for Photography, and Maine Photographic Workshops. Years of long summers on Cape Cod (her second home), and trips to Hawaii and Cuba, enriched her portfolio. Her artwork has appeared in many juried shows and she was a guild-artist member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists. Always an advocate for improving the communities she held dear, Sara also served as President of Temple Shalom and as Chair of Wilton's Relay For Life.
Nothing brought Sara more joy than her family. She was lovingly devoted to Chuck, her husband and best friend of 55 years, and to her three children, JJ, Ben, and Sammy. They were the light of her life. She never missed an opportunity to tell them how much she loved them or how proud she was of their achievements, big or small. She will be remembered for her quick wit, kind heart, and keen intelligence (for which even the most challenging Sunday New York Times crossword puzzles were no match).
She is survived by her adoring husband, Charles "Chuck"; her three children, Joseph "JJ" (Marguerite), Benjamin "Ben" (Melissa), and Samantha "Sammy" (Alec). She is also survived by her brothers, Stuart (Annabel) Spielman, and Scott (Ruthie) Spielman; her brother-in-law, David (Louise); her mother-in-law, Arlene; and many loving nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her beloved parents, Blanche and Morton Spielman; her brother, Louis Spielman; her father-in-law, Seymour; and her sister-in-law, Donna.
In accordance with Sara's wishes, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers.