The late Cathy Sobel (January 16, 1949 – May 21, 2015) will be honored by the New Cumberland Hall of Fame for her contributions to the community at a ceremony to be held February 6 at 1 p.m. at the New Cumberland Christian Church. The public is invited to attend to honor those whose dedication to the community and their fellow are the heartbeat of a small town.
Cathy Ann Sobel was the daughter of Walter J and Estella Hill Sobel and the sister to Lynn Sobel Swan. She attended New Cumberland schools and graduated from Oak Glen High School in 1966..
Upon graduation, she started her first job, working for Matt Phillips at Phillips Hardware in New Cumberland. Upon leaving the hardware, she was employed by the WV Department of Highways for 36 years, retiring in 2005 as a maintenance assistant. During her time there, she earned a Senior Engineering Technology certificate and was promoted several times by virtue of her job expertise, One of her biggest accomplishments during her employment was her deposition as part of a Class Action lawsuit brought against the WVDOH by women working in the field. Her testimony helped the women win back wages and equality. Cathy literally knew no roadblocks and was a trailblazer.
From the beginning, Cathy was very involved in her community. She was a member for many years of the New Cumberland Young Woman’s Club serving as President for several years, She could be seen driving her MG Midget, representing the Club in the town’s annual Christmas parade, participating in the Club’s annual Minstrel show and working on many projects for the improvement of the community. One of the projects was the accomplishment of the completion of Pride Station, the brick wall/walkway on Station Hill.
As a member of Hancock County’s 911 Re-Addressing Committee, she worked hand in hand with many local and state officials to make the re-addressing project a success.
She was a member of the New Cumberland Christian Church, serving on the church’s Finance Committee for many years. As anyone who worked with her on the committee can attest, she was astute in her record keeping and relentless in making sure everyone else was also. One current member of the committee has said they still say, “What would Cathy do in this situation?”.
Although not located in New Cumberland, Family Connections/Brooke Place, a home for troubled girls, located in Colliers, West Virginia, was near and dear to her heart. She tirelessly worked for the betterment of the facility and to provide a positive influence on young girls less fortunate than most. She devoted many hours to organizing fund raising events and shared not only her monetary wealth but her life’s wealth with the facility. She was a board member for many years beginning in 2003 and President from 2006 to 2010. She was awarded the WVCCA Champion of Children Award from the West Virginia Childcare Association in 2012.
On a personal level, Cathy had a heart of gold. She helped in the upbringing of two young girls who needed stability in their lives, she was a great daughter, sister, aunt, and friend to many, a sounding board for her nephews, and always made sure her aging parents were able to travel to family events, medical appointments and Army reunions. Cathy was always there for everyone including her great nephews and nieces who affectionately called her Crazy Aunt C.
New Cumberland, her friends and her family were so fortunate to have had Cathy in our lives and we, her family, thank the Hall of Fame Committee for bestowing this honor on her. We know she appreciates it as do we.
Thank you from the Sobel and Swan families.
