Sara Ruth Rubenson

Sara Ruth Rubenson, age 41, of Portland, ME, passed away unexpectedly on September 2, 2026.

She was born April 21, 1985 in Springfield, MA, beloved daughter of Marc S. Rubenson, of Manchester, and Jeanne Good Rubenson, of Needham, MA.

She earned a bachelors degree in Fine Arts from UMass and a Masters in Art Education from NYU.

Sara’s essence was beautifying the lives around her. She loved creating art—her work still decorates the walls of so many who loved her—and she loved sharing beauty she found in the world. She was passionate about making spaces, events, and people feel just a little more beautiful.

Sara had an incredible capacity to love. She built deep, lasting connections with family and friends, who all felt her boundless empathy—especially the children in her life, none more than her two nieces and three nephews. She was proud of her Jewish heritage, which shaped her sense of family and community throughout her life. And there were the small things she loved so fiercely that none of us can come across them without thinking of her: pizza, M&Ms, George Clooney, Doritos.

Sara is survived by her father, Marc and his companion Nancy Cottrill; her mother, Jeanne; her paternal grandmother, Gloria Raffel, of Scottsdale, AZ; her sister and brother-in-law Rachel & David Marmor, of Needham, MA and their children, Evan & Samuel; and her sister and brother-in-law Gail & Michael Goldman, of Hudson, NH and their children, Elizabeth, Alexandra, and Benjamin. As the “cement that holds the family together,” Sara was also survived by a large, beloved extended family.

Camp Fernwood held a lifelong place in Sara’s heart. She first went as a camper as a kid, and it became a place she returned to again and again throughout her life, working there on and off into adulthood. Fernwood gave her some of her most cherished friendships and community and was woven into who she was.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Sara’s memory may be made to ArtVan, a nonprofit on whose board Sara served that delivers mobile art therapy by visiting https://artvan.ddock.gives/.

SERVICES – A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday September 8, 2026 at Temple Adath Yeshurun, 152 Prospect St., Manchester, NH. Burial will be private. A zoom link will be provided for those who cannot attend in-person, please check back for updates. There will be Shiva at Marc's home, 125 Chase Way, Manchester from 5-7 Tuesday; and Wednesday evening will be at 6:30 pm at the home of Rachel and David Marmor, 15 Lewis Street, Needham, MA. Arrangements in care of the Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, 1799 Elm Street, Manchester, NH. For Online Guestbook, please visit www.LambertFuneralHome.com.