Adrianne R. Sturman
Adrianne R. Sturman died peacefully at her home in Santa Barbara on the night of February 11, 2025 at the age of 96 years old. The fact that only hours earlier she was enjoying her weekly bridge game with friends says much about Ady’s indomitable energy and sociability. Adrianne was born on December 1, 1928 in Bronx, New York, the eldest daughter of Herman and Charlotte Reevman. She attended New Jersey College for Women (now a part of Rutgers University) before moving to the University of Michigan in 1948. There she met George Sturman, who would become her cherished husband of 63 years until his death in 2016. George pursued a career in orthodontics, and they eventually settled in West Hartford, CT, where they raised a family and lived for fifty years.
In West Hartford, Adrianne, dissatisfied with being a stay-at-home mom, studied library science at Southern Connecticut State University and became a librarian in the West Hartford public school system. A lifelong love of travel, which she shared with George, eventually led to a career as a travel agent. Adrianne worked with her close friend Joyce Bisberg at Travelrama in Hartford, and later moved to Kenney Travel in West Hartford followed by Huntington Hay in Avon, CT. Travel dominated much of George and Adrianne’s lives, and few could rival in number the many and diverse countries they visited. Adrianne’s love of art and culture, combined with her enjoyment of group activities, led to her becoming a docent at the Wadsworth Atheneum of Hartford and later a member of the Women’s Board at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Intensely social, George and Adrianne filled their lives with bridge games, movies, dinners with friends, and family activities.
In 2007, George and Adrianne moved permanently to Santa Barbara to be close to their granddaughters and escape New England’s harsh weather. Here they quickly built a network of new close friends, which included a dinner club (the Fed-Ups). Adrianne honed her skill at bridge and filled her time with adult education classes at City College while continuing to work as a travel agent. After the loss of George, Adrianne persevered and eventually flourished, enjoying time with her family in Santa Barbara and maintaining social activities with her ever-growing circle of friends and admirers. Combining a sunny personality with an inherently New York toughness, Adrianne defied age and physical setbacks with a spirit that was truly admirable. She will be missed by all who knew her.
Adrianne is survived by her younger sister Carole Dorris of Worcester, MA, her daughter Sally of New York and France, her son Peter and daughter-in-law Hui-shu of Santa Barbara, and her cherished grand-daughters Leanne and Olivia.
Adrianne had a “can-do” attitude that only got stronger with age. As she was a passionate advocate for women’s rights and supporter of girls’ causes, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Girls Inc (https://www.girlsinc.org).
