One Book Sale Volunteer’s Love for Books Lives On
Wednesday, 07 March 2012 10:59
Sabina Flanagan (nee Ariffe) was
born November 19, 1921 in Media, Pennsylvania, a small town near Philadelphia. When Sabina graduated from high
school, the family did not have enough resources to provide her with a college
education, so Sabina entered the world of work as a teenager and stayed in the
workforce as a career woman until she retired in her mid-60s. Some of Sabina’s first jobs were in
government, and for a number of years she worked as a secretary in the War
Department. Later in life, Sabina worked
in Chicago as a
human resources professional, closing out her career at U. S. Gypsum, from
which she retired in the 1980s.
She enjoyed living in Chicago with her husband, Bill, until he sadly passed away of medical complications at the young age of 44. Several years after her husband passed away, Sabina moved to Evanston with her brother George, because they felt that the City encompassed many of the cultural experiences they adored. She had always loved books and became an active library volunteer at Evanston Public Library. She found spending time with the other volunteers very rewarding, and she was especially active on behalf of the library’s book sales.
Sabina's brother George describes
her as "always good looking, with a smile that spread across her whole
face." Sabina was known for her wry
humor and her gentleness.
When Sabina's brother George decided to enter the King Home, the Evanston retirement community accepted only men as residents. About the same time, Sabina moved to the North Shore Retirement Hotel, a retirement community conveniently located just a block away from the Evanston Public Library and only a few blocks from the King Home. By the time Sabina’s health began to decline significantly in 2011, the King Home was accepting women residents, so Sabina moved from the North Shore Retirement Hotel to the King Home to be nearer to her beloved brother George during her final months. On September 14, 2011, Sabina Flanagan died, just a couple months short of her 90th birthday.
As an ongoing memorial to Sabina’s life and in recognition of how much she contributed to Evanston Public Library during her years of service as a library volunteer, her brother George Ariffe made a significant donation to the library. His gift will be added to Library endowment, and will impact generations to come. On March 5, 2012, the book sale area on the first floor of the library was named in loving memory of Sabina Flanagan in a dedication ceremony.
