Through a planned gift, Petie Subin ’61’s belief in the power of theater will endure at Sidwell Friends.

Petie Subin ’61 not only loved theater, she transformed her passion with a remarkable ability to heal, empower, and entertain. A proud graduate of Sidwell Friends, she earned her BA in speech and drama at Cornell University. After completing her master’s in social work from Fairleigh Dickinson, she became one of the first registered drama therapists in the country.

As a social worker, she established her own practice, using her talents to help diverse groups from cancer survivors, law enforcement officers, and medical interns to teens, single parents and executives. She applied her theater skills to role playing techniques that helped people cope with daily challenges, as well as extraordinary life events. As her husband Bill says, “She inspired people. Through role playing and performance, they gained skills and confidence.”

Petie herself never left the stage, continuing to act in community theater. Her performances “lit up life as she lit up the stage,” says one of her fellow actors. So, it’s not a surprise that when she established a planned gift for Sidwell Friends, she focused on student opportunities in theater. Petie passed away in September of 2022, but her bequest will support Upper School and Middle School theater for generations to come.

As her husband Bill says, “Petie was a loving mother of three boys and she worked with young people. She understood that they gain self-confidence by being on stage, whether they’re acting, singing, dancing, or just speaking. She wanted to give Sidwell Friends students the chance to carry within themselves that feeling of ‘I can do this.'”

Those who establish a planned gift become members of The Thomas and Frances Sidwell Society, which recognizes the more than 150 individuals who have thoughtfully decided to include Sidwell Friends School in their estate plans. Bequests, charitable trusts, gift annuities, and other planned giving arrangements continue to bolster the School’s financial stability and have great bearing on every aspect of the work and future of Sidwell Friends.