Obituary and Eulogy: Ruth M. Sasso of Naugatuck

EULOGY written by Nancy Sasso Janis

Ruth M. Sasso was age 89 when she passed away peacefully on July 31, 2018 after a long illness and most assuredly on her own terms.

Professor Sasso was born in Bridgeport, CT, on December 9, 1928, the oldest daughter of the late A. Nicholas and Mildred (Hayes) Sasso. She graduated from Laurelton Hall Academy in Milford and earned her BS in Education in 1961 from St. Joseph’s College in West Hartford. She went on to earn her MA in Education from St. Joseph’s in 1968. She worked as the coordinator of Early Childhood Education at Naugatuck Valley Community College for 28 years where she taught many courses and supervised student teachers; she always was “a teacher of the teachers.”

During her tenure at NVCC (then called Mattatuck Community College,) she founded the Child Development Center. After seven years of research, and with the approval and encouragement of the division director, she both established and directed the NAEYC accredited center from 1977 to 1980, where she touched the lives of countless young children.

Before her retirement in 1999, Professor Sasso served as a validator for the NAEYC accreditation program, was an educational consultant for many ECE centers in the central Naugatuck Valley and advised local ECE directors on curriculum development, served on the Naugatuck Head Start Advisory Committee and coordinated, directed and wrote curriculum for the Title XX Daycare Training Program.

She loved traveling to take part in professional development seminars in Sweden, Belgium, Walt Disney World, Germany, and Tempe, AZ. Professional affiliations included NAEYC, National Coalition of Campus Child Care Professionals, CT Early Childhood Council, and Action for Children’s Television. She is listed in Who’s Who of American Intellectuals, Who’s Who in American Women, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the East, Who’s Who of the Women in Education, American Catholic Who’s Who, National Social Directory, Personalities of America, American Biographical Institute and Biographical Honor Roll. Pretty impressive stuff.

Following her retirement, Professor Sasso volunteered countless hours in the primary grades of Maple Hill and then Andrew Avenue Elementary Schools in Naugatuck. She was never happier than working with the late kindergarten teacher MaryEllen Marques and the other teachers she assisted, respected and defended right up to the superintendent whenever they visited. Every one of her teachers called her Prof. Sasso in front of the students, but she remained Aunt Ruth in the teacher’s room.

She loved everything about the Muppets, watching old movies because they were better, and anything Disney. No one was better at solving crossword puzzles. She never met an animal she didn’t like and her neighbor the therapy dog Callie the Collie could hear her car a mile away.

Aunt Ruth loved her cats Tiger, Mittens and Kermit and had a tough time saying goodbye when it was time for them to leave her care. She bravely beat cancer a remarkable three times herself and we all believed that she was so tough that she would live forever.

Beside her parents, she was predeceased last November by her beloved brother Austin N. Sasso and her grandnephew Jonathan Austin Henry. My son CJ will be playing an original composition that he wrote as a memorial for my father entitled THE SCOUT at the end of Mass because Ruth loved ragtime and jazz. She loved her youngest sister Peggy fiercely and worried about her sister-in-law Marie.

Because nothing was more important to “Aunt Ruth” than family, she leaves to cherish her memory a large, devoted family, a multitude of former students and many friends who she supported whenever she was able. She was so grateful for her friend Joan Peterson who was often seen grocery shopping with her in the early morning at Big Y. She loved and became roommates with many of her nine nieces and nephews and enjoyed welcoming their spouses to the family.

She helped to raise her grand nieces and nephews that numbered 18 and she seldom missed a birthday card. Until her hospitalization, she prepared a full dinner every Sunday for my family and me without fail. She looked forward to our annual treks to New York City via towncar to take in many a Broadway show.

She was the kindest, most generous lady who had a special devotion to the Blessed Mother. If she wanted something, usually not for himself, she went straight to the top and prayed to Mary.

Even in the hospital, my fellow pit bull Kristen and I would meet people who remembered Ruth from Naugatuck Valley and asked to be remembered to her. I would like to thank Father George and the members of the pastoral care department at Waterbury Hospital and her ICU nurses Christine, Jessica, Lauren and Nelson who helped her pass with dignity. A retired educator summed it up so well when she wrote in her condolences “So very sorry for your immense loss. You were blessed to have each other in this life.”

I would like to end my eulogy with a poem that Aunt Ruth left for me to read at her funeral. It was written by Leslie Pinckney Hill and is called

THE TEACHER.

LORD, who am I to teach the way

To little children day by day,

So prone myself to go astray?

I teach them KNOWLEDGE, but I know

How faint they flicker and how low

The candles of my knowledge glow.

I teach them POWER to will and do,

But only now to learn anew

My own great weakness through and through.

I teach them LOVE for all mankind

And all God’s creatures, but I find

My love comes lagging far behind.

Lord, if their guide I still must be,

Oh let the little children see

The teacher leaning hard on Thee.

OBITUARY

Naugatuck, CT - Ruth M. Sasso of Naugatuck, age 89, passed away peacefully on July 31, 2018 after a long illness.

Professor Sasso was born in Bridgeport, CT, on December 9, 1928, a daughter of the late A. Nicholas and Mildred (Hayes) Sasso. She graduated from Laurelton Hall Academy in Milford and earned her BS in Education in 1961 from St. Joseph’s College in West Hartford. She went on to earn her MA in Education from St. Joseph’s in 1968. She earned additional credits at CCSU and Fairfield University and studied data processing at several institutions of higher learning. She worked as the coordinator of Early Childhood Education at Naugatuck Valley Community College for 28 years where she taught many courses and supervised student teachers; she was “a teacher of the teachers.”

During her tenure at NVCC (then called Mattatuck Community College,) she founded the Child Development Center. After seven years of research, and with the approval and encouragement of the division director, she both established and directed the NAEYC accredited center from 1977 to 1980, where she touched the lives of countless young children.

Before her retirement in 1999, Professor Sasso served as a validator for the NAEYC accreditation program, was an educational consultant for many ECE center in the central Naugatuck Valley and advised local ECE directors on curriculum development, served on the Naugatuck Head Start Advisory Committee and coordinated, directed and wrote curriculum for the Title XX Daycare Training Program.

She traveled to take part in professional development seminars in Sweden, Belgium, Walt Disney World, Germany, and Tempe, AZ. Professional affiliations included NAEYC, National Coalition of Campus Child Care Professionals, CT Early Childhood Council, and Action for Children’s Television. She is listed in Who’s Who of American Intellectuals, Who’s Who in American Women, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the East, Who’s Who of the Women in Education, American Catholic Who’s Who, National Social Directory, Personalities of America, American Biographical Institute and Biographical Honor Roll.

Following her retirement, Professor Sasso volunteered countless hours in the primary grades of Maple Hill and Andrew Avenue Elementary Schools in Naugatuck. She was never happier than working with the late kindergarten teacher MaryEllen Marques and the other teachers she assisted and respected. She loved the Muppets, old movies, Disney, crossword puzzles, any animal and all things Broadway.

Beside her parents, she was predeceased by her beloved brother Austin N. Sasso and her grandnephew Jonathan Austin Henry.

Because nothing was more important to “Aunt Ruth” than family, she leaves to cherish her memory a large, devoted family, and a multitude of former students She leaves one sister, Margaret Lagasse and husband Normand, of Arizona and her sister-in-law Marie J. Sasso of Stratford.

Her beloved nieces and nephews include Patch.com Mayor Nancy Sasso Janis and her former husband John Henry of Naugatuck who provided care for her, David Sasso, and wife Marcy of New Jersey, Jeffrey Sasso, and wife Patricia McCay of Killingworth, Mark Sasso, and wife Kim of North Carolina, and Christine Reuther, and husband Daniel of North Carolina, Timothy Lagasse and his wife Melissa of California, Patrick Lagasse and his wife Maureen of Wallingford, Eileen Lagasse and her wife Cary Grey of Wallingford, and Maureen Ysewyn of Ledyard.

Her grand nieces and nephews include Nicholas Henry and his partner Kristin Brickel R.N. of Naugatuck, Adam and Christian (CJ) Janis, Julie and Jenna Sasso, Isabelle and Juliette Sasso, and James, Stephen, and Austin Sasso, Brennan, Ryan, and Carter Lagasse, Clark, Reid, Kellan and Grayson Ysewyn.

The family would like to thank the members of the pastoral care department at Waterbury Hospital and her ICU nurses Christine, Jessica, Lauren and Nelson who helped her pass with dignity. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Ruth’s passions which included the animals of Guiding Eyes for the Blind or 1214 Foundation, a nonprofit that works with children in Sandy Hook to present high quality musicals every summer.

Calling hours will be Friday, August 3, 2018 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm at Alderson Ford Funeral Home in Naugatuck. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, Aug. 4 at 10:00 am at St. Vincent Ferrer RC Church on New Haven Road in Naugatuck. Friends are encouraged to meet directly at the church. Burial to follow at St. James Cemetery.

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