Obituary: Judith (Judy) Portner Sappern

The following obituary of Judith (Judy) Portner Sappern, 88, is from her family:

Judith (Judy) Portner Sappern, formerly of Westport and Norwalk CT, died peacefully on April 10, 2021. She was 88 years old. She is preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Donald Sappern, and her older sister Joyce Cooper.

Judy is survived by her children, Laurie Sappern Gaugler and her husband Dean, Matthew Sappern and his wife Rianne, both of Fairfield, CT, and Adam Sappern and his wife Margot of Bethel, VT. Judy enjoyed frequent visits and calls with her seven grandchildren; Billy, Chloe, Brian, Geoffrey, Rachel, Carly and Tobey. She is also survived by her beloved sister-in-law, Pietrina Sappern of Milford, CT.

Born on October 10, 1932 to Belle and Morris Portner of Rumson, NJ, Judy was an adventurer who, after serving as the managing editor of her high school paper, took the unusual step at the time to go out of state for college, attending the University of Connecticut. While there, she served as President of the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, made lifelong friends and, most importantly, fell in love with Donald. Married shortly after graduation, they started a telephone answering service in Norwalk, CT. As Don's career progressed and he became a successful insurance executive, Judy managed office operations and bookkeeping.

As the couple's children grew, Judy was an involved mother. Helping with their studies, she also supported every interest her children pursued; from the choir room to the pool to the baseball diamond, even the rock band that practiced in the basement. She celebrated her kids' triumphs and consoled them in their defeats. A fixture in the lives of her children's friends, Judy was happy to be greeted with a loud "Hey Mrs. Sap!". By some accounts, she fed generations of Staples High School students who used their house at 16 Wedgewood as a home base throughout the day.

Judy pursued a Master's Degree in social work and volunteered at Norwalk Hospital. She loved helping others work through tough times and passed that empathy on to her kids. When not at the hospital or office, Judy enjoyed working on her needlepoint and playing a round of golf or bridge with friends. She also became a personal computer enthusiast and fanatical supporter of UConn basketball.

The family will arrange a memorial service later in the year when travel and gathering are less limited. Memorial contributions in Judy's memory can be made to the IGA Nephropathy Foundation at P. O. Box 1322, Wall, New Jersey 07727 or online at https://igan.org/donate/