Obituary of Anthony T. Soares

February 19, 2005 Retired Professor for the University of Bridgeport Dr. Anthony T. Soares, age 81, of Trumbull, a retired professor for the University of Bridgeport, died Saturday, February 19, 2005. Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, he was a U.S. Navy veteran and received the World War II Victory Medal, the American Area Ribbon, and the European-African-Middle East Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon and three bronze stars. He received an honorable discharge in 1946, but delayed exercising his G.I. bill of rights to a college education until 1949 because he stayed home to support his very ill parents and his two youngest sisters. Dr. Soares received a B. S. in Mathematics in 1953 and the Masters Degree from Boston College in 1954. He went on to receive a doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois in 1962. He returned to Boston College as an Assistant Professor from 1962 to 1965. In 1965, he joined the faculty at the University of Bridgeport where he remained until his retirement in 2004. He received the award of Professor Emeritus early in 2005. Along with his wife, Dr. Louise M. Soares, currently at the University of New Haven, he co-authored over 200 publications on learning, instructional models, child psychology and adolescent development and designed several scales, tests and assessments used in many countries in addition to the United States. He received 22 research grants, six of which were from the federal government and four from foundations. He reviewed manuscripts for new and revised textbooks, presented research papers at conferences around the world and was active in many professional organizations. He received several awards, such as the Distinguished Faculty Award, American Men and Women of Science, Whos Who in America, Whos Who in the World, Whos Who in American Education, Outstanding Scholars of the 21st century, Outstanding Faculty Award and Study Scholarship for a summer of research in China, Directory of American Scholars, U. S. Publishers of Standardized Tests, among others. Funeral Information A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, February 25, 2005 in St. Catherine of Siena Church, Trumbull and was attended by his wife of 50 years, his daughter, Donna Kemp of Norwalk, his son Steven of Concord, Massachusetts, with his wife, Elaine and son Michael. Also present were his niece, Lisa Pratt and her father, James of Kingston, Massachusetts, several University faculty and administrators and many friends of the family throughout the region. Interment with full military honors was in Nicholas Village Cemetery, Trumbull, where the ground had been covered by an early snowfall. At the end of Playing TAPS, the American flag was presented to the widow by Navy personnel.