SANFORD — Michael Marc Rubin, 63, of Sanford and Bennington, Vermont, died peacefully in his Vermont apartment on Monday morning.

Michael was born to Leah Patiky Rubin and the late Gerard Rubin on Dec. 3, 1952 in Smithtown, Long Island, New York. He was the third of four children and the first son to Leah and Jerry.

Michael and his family lived in Stonybrook, Long Island, where they were part of a vibrant and close-knit Jewish community led by Michael’s maternal grandfather. Here, he developed his love of his Jewish faith and his value of family. He also learned to sail, and learned a lot helping his father at his veterinary clinic.

Michael and his family moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma, when he was in high school. It was in Oklahoma that Michael, after a stint at college, decided to enlist in the U.S. Navy. This decision would prove to set the course for the rest of his life.

After being stationed at various bases in the U.S. and Carribean, Michael was sent to Brunswick Naval Air Station in Brunswick. It was during his time here that he met his wife, Sue Ann Morrill Rubin, at a University of Southern Maine party. After dating for a year, Michael and Sue were married in South Portland, on May 25, 1975. Michael continued to serve in the U.S. Navy as a Naval reservist until his final honorable discharge in 1990.

Michael and Sue moved into a brand-new house in Sanford as they were expecting their first child, Sarah, in 1979. Another daughter, Kayla, was born in 1983.

Michael began working at Sprague Electric, an electronics manufacturer, in Sanford in 1979. He began working on the assembly line, became a shift manager, and later became a quality control engineer and lab manager. He continued to work for the company after Sprague was bought out by Vishay, and stayed with the company after they shut down their Sanford manufacturing plant. Michael spent time working for Vishay in Beer Sheva, Israel, and later took a position at their plant in Bennington, Vermont commuting between Sanford and Vermont weekly.

Michael was an incredibly dedicated father and husband. He was incredibly involved in both of his daughter’s sports careers. He began officiating USA and high school swimming, as one of his daughters was very involved in swimming, and remained a top official and member of the Maine Swimming Officials Association after she had graduated. He also helped coach t-ball and soccer as well as carting his daughters to meets, games, and competitions all over the northeast.

Michael, along with his wife, was also incredibly committed to his religious community. As a board member at his synagogue, Etz Chaim, Michael spent many Saturdays and High Holidays helping to organize and lead weekly services, Sundays teaching Hebrew School, and countless other days tutoring students for their bar and bat mitzvahs.

Michael is preceded in death by: his father, Gerard Rubin, and sister, Marion Copley.

He is survived by: his mother, Leah Rubin of Stamford, Connecticut; his wife of 40 years, Sue Rubin of Sanford; his daughter, Sarah Rubin, and her husband Bob Soucy of Portland; daughter, Kayla Rubin and her husband Jason Patterson of New York, New York; sister, Elizabeth Rubin of Stamford, Connecticut; brother, Gabriel Rubin and his family of Jerusalem, Israel; and beloved grandson, George.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, Jan. 3 at 11 a.m. at Etz Chaim Synagogue, 36 Bacon St. in Biddeford. Interment will take place at Mount Sinai Cemetery in Portland at the conclusion of the service. The reception will then be held at Etz Chaim Synagogue at 2 p.m. Arrangements are by Jewish Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Michael’s name to: Congregation Etz Chaim, P.O. Box 905, Kennebunk, ME 04043; or Seeds of Peace, 370 Lexington Ave., Suite 1201, New York, NY 10017, www.seedsofpeace.org.