Obituary: Sandra Elisa Van Ausdal, 70, Of Redding: Former Teacher

information Courtesy Bouton Funeral Home

REDDING, CT — Sandra Elisa Van Ausdal, age 70, of Redding, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her loving family on Monday, January 24, 2022. She was the wife of Roger Van Ausdal.

Born in New Rochelle, NY, on December 6, 1951, Sandi was daughter to the late Frank and Philomena (Mazzullo) Curto. Sandi obtained her BA degree in French Literature from The College of New Rochelle (NY), and her MA in French Literature from New York University abroad program in Paris. While living in New Jersey she was an adjunct professor of French at Rutgers University, and she taught French at Summit High School. After moving to Conecticut in 1993, she taught French at New Fairfield High School and later taught French and Spanish at Joel Barlow High School for around 20 years. She was also the instructional leader for World Languages at Joel Barlow High School.

Sandi had a lifelong passion for France and the French language. She loved visiting the country, taking students to France and Quebec City, and inspiring students with the language and culture. For many years she was the vice president of the American Association of Teachers of French. For her contributions to the promotion of French culture, Sandi was awarded the Palmes Académiques by the French National Education Ministry in 2014. Sandi’s passion for learning and teaching world languages included ongoing Spanish education classes in the evening and taking Mandarin lessons so she could proctor students wishing to do online study of this language.

In retirement, she loved to travel and to be the world’s greatest grandmother. After obtaining her license as an Emergency Medical Technician by the State of Connecticut in late 2019, she was prepared to achieve her longtime goal of volunteering locally as an EMT. Sadly, she fell ill with cancer by the time she was ready to serve.

Sandi is survived by her husband Roger at their home in Redding, her children Kari Strong and husband Brian, and Jeffrey Van Ausdal, all of New York City, Eric Van Ausdal of Washington DC; her grandchildren Julien, William, and Gloria Strong of New York City; her sister Judi Curto of Lawrenceville, NJ; her nephew Matthew Lemieux and his wife Brigitte of Quebec City, Canada, and their daughter Kristen; and her niece Alexandra (Lemieux) Splawski and her husband Graham and their son Charlie. Sandi was predeceased by Roger’s sister Kristen.

For the past 28 years, Sandi was an active and beloved member of the First Church of Christ, Congregational in Redding.

A celebration of Sandi's life will be held at a later date in the spring. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (www.cholangiocarcinoma.org) or your preference of cancer charity. To offer online condolences or share memories with her family please visit http://www.boutonfuneralhome.com