Betsy (Rubin) Corman, 68, a resident of Stamford, CT and formerly of Derwood, MD and Wellesley, MA passed away on April 17, 2015 after a valiant 18 month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Betsy was born June 24, 1946 in Brockton, MA to Sylvia Rubin and the late Charles V. Rubin. She was raised and educated in Brockton, MA graduating from Thayer Academy in 1964 and Cornell University in 1968. Betsy worked for IBM Corporation in various locations for 32 years, retiring in 2000. Upon her retirement she started her second career as a volunteer with Greenwich Hospital.
Gradually increasing her participation, Betsy was the coordinator for the oncology volunteers at the hospital, including training of new oncology and hospice volunteers, and scheduling monthly educational sessions for the volunteers and she also served as Vice President of the Greenwich Hospital Auxiliary for one term.
Betsy was one of the founding members who brought the Schwartz Center (for Compassionate Care) Rounds to Greenwich Hospital and remained as the coordinator for this program until her death. She started the Healing Shawls program, which has provided over 2,300 shawls to oncology patients who have been treated at the hospital on both inpatient and outpatient bases. She was also a member of the hospital’s Cancer and Palliative Care Committees. She was nominated three times for the hospital’s Quality Award and received several Certificates of Appreciation.
Involvement with palliative and compassionate care led to Betsy and her husband becoming the founding donors of the hospital’s Palliative Care Department. Further philanthropic ventures included major grants to Boston Latin School, The Schwartz Center for Compassionate HealthCare, Appalachian Mountain Club, and WSHU radio. Significant donations were also made to Stamford Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cancer Care, Doctors Without Borders, Kids in Crisis, Westport Country Playhouse, Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Habitat for Humanity, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Puppies Behind Bars, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan School of Management and Koch Center for Integrative Cancer Research), Cornell University, and numerous other charitable organizations.
Mrs. Corman is survived by her devoted husband Stephen Corman, her sister Deborah Rubin Cooper of Schuylkill Haven, PA, and her mother Sylvia Rubin of Stamford, CT. She was predeceased by her brother Donald Rubin of Vancouver, BC, Canada, and her father Charles V. Rubin of Chestnut Hill and Brockton, MA. She also leaves behind 8 loving nieces and nephews and 12 grand nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held privately with a memorial Celebration of Life service to be held in her honor at a later date. Visitation (Shiva) will be held at her residence at 65 Apple Valley Rd, Stamford, CT 06903 on Sunday April 19, 2015 from 7:00 to 9:00pm and Monday April 20, 2015 and Tuesday April 21, 2015 both from 3:00 to 5:00pm and 7:00 to 9:00pm.
Memorial donations in memory of Betsy Corman may be made to Greenwich Hospital Palliative Care Department, c/o Greenwich Hospital Foundation, 35 River Road Cos Cob, CT 06807.