Years ago, Shari Cantor ’81 (BUS) attended a UConn-Yale football game nine months pregnant. Hemmed in by a sea of cars and fans, she knew that making a quick exit would be close to impossible. But missing the game wasn’t an option for this Husky devotee. Her luck held out: it wasn’t until the drive home that she went into labor.

“UConn is the fabric woven into every part of our lives,” says Michael Cantor ’80 (ENG), ’83 JD.

It’s hard to miss the alumni couple’s influence on UConn as dedicated alumni, donors and leaders. Across UConn’s campuses, you might have crossed paths with the nearly 30 students who have been given the means to pursue higher education because of the Cantors’ generosity. Driving into the Storrs campus along Route 195, you’ll be greeted by the gleaming UCONN sign that their generosity made possible. Listen closely to the marching band’s next UConn Fight Song, and you’ll hear the deep notes of the sousaphone they donated. And, step into the Cantors’ home, surrounded by a wall‑to‑wall shrine to all things UConn, and it’s clear this is a family whose Husky pride runs deep. Following the public launch of the Because of UConn campaign, the couple recently deepened their impact by planning a $1 million legacy gift that will benefit UConn for years to come.

Shari turned a successful accounting career into a lifetime of public service. In addition to serving as mayor of West Hartford — New England’s largest town — she serves on the UConn Board of Trustees and the Connecticut Children’s Foundation board of directors. Michael, one of Hartford’s most well-known lawyers, grew Cantor Colburn from a small intellectual property law firm into one of the top ten patent and trademark law firms in the country. A former member of the UConn Foundation Board of Directors who taught at the School of Law for 20 years, he now serves on the advisory boards for the College of Engineering and the School of Law. Dual members of the Because of UConn campaign committee and a Hartford Business Journal “Power Couple,” the Cantors are the second husband-and-wife team in UConn history to both be named to the UConn Hall of Fame — he in engineering, she in business.

“Shari and Michael’s generosity extends far beyond their own philanthropy,” says UConn Foundation President and CEO Amy Yancey. “Despite busy lives serving Connecticut in their individual ways, from my first arrival at UConn they have always been the first to ask, ‘How can we help?’ I’m so appreciative of their support of UConn, our students, and the Because of UConn Campaign. The Cantors truly bleed blue.”

“Shari and Michael embody what it means to be a lifelong Husky team,” says Daniel D. Toscano ’87 (BUS), UConn Board of Trustees chair and Because of UConn campaign co-chair. “Their leadership and generosity have touched every corner of UConn, and their planned gift brings their UConn legacy to new heights. It’s been an honor to work alongside Shari on the Board of Trustees and to witness firsthand the passion and vision that she and Michael bring to everything they do for UConn.”

Shari’s UConn story began in West Hartford, where her parents — the children of Jewish immigrants — had four children in five years, all of whom became first-in-family college graduates from UConn.

When Shari entered the School of Business in the late ’70s, only one in four students were women. Professors like Mo Hussein helped ease her way, making accounting less daunting and encouraging students to bring their whole selves to the classroom.

Michael grew up in Ellington, in a family where money was tight. His parents encouraged him to attend UConn for its affordability. In the end, he only applied to one school.

He credits his experience as residential assistant in the North Campus dormitories, then known as “the Jungle,” as helping give him the interpersonal and management skills needed to later lead a large law firm.

It wasn’t until Shari and Michael had both graduated UConn — she as an accounting major, him with an engineering degree and then a UConn Law degree — that they met at a local Jewish singles event called the “Matzah Ball.” Michael saw her from across the room and recognized her from campus. “You went to UConn, didn’t you?” were the first words he spoke to her.

UConn basketball and soccer games set the stage for their early relationship. As they started a young family, they hosted full-scale Husky watch parties, renting a fleet of televisions to place in every room so 100-plus guests could follow the game from any corner. Through the windows, guests could catch Michael sprinting outside during foul shots as superstition demanded.

Today, the Cantors have four sons, two of whom went to UConn. Season ticket holders for men’s and women’s basketball, they travel for an away game every year, even when surrounded by thousands of rival fans, their sons hushing their cheers. Their family’s Husky pride extends to Shari’s mother, who remains standing for entire women’s basketball games to keep losses at bay.

As the Cantors’ careers and family flourished, so did their desire to give back to the institutions that shaped them. For more than two decades, the Cantors have championed UConn through their support, including for Build Hartford, scholarships for business, engineering, and law students, Hillel, and the Students First program, which provides emergency aid for students facing unexpected hardships.

“We’ve tried to take a holistic approach,” Shari says, “supporting students in every way — whether it’s a high-performing engineering student or an undergraduate who just needs a little help to stay on track.”

“Students First is a program that really touches my heart,” says Shari. “Many students are hanging on by a thread financially, and they’re one setback away from having to leave UConn — whether it’s a car breaking down, a parent who falls ill, health care costs going up, or not being able to afford groceries. It means a lot to help get a student through a pivotal moment and help keep them on the path to graduation.”

Michael’s role as board chair of the venture capital firm Connecticut Innovations gives him unique insight into how UConn drives economic development for the state and how, with more resources, UConn could fill the state’s economic needs even more effectively. As Hartford-area leaders, the Cantors care deeply about UConn students and the local community. Working with the UConn Foundation and university partners, they helped design Build Hartford, a UConn course that gives students hands-on experience working with Hartford-area startups, developing students’ entrepreneurial skills while fostering economic development. The program just finished its fifth year.

Now, inspired by the ambitions of the Because of UConn campaign and their role in this historic fundraising initiative, the Cantors are thinking about their legacy with their planned gift commitment. Their involvements have given them insight into campus needs, and they see the importance of flexible funds that allow the university to respond where it matters most — as well as growing UConn’s endowment so the university can “control its own destiny.”

Whichever way the Cantors decide to make an impact through their most recent planned gift, it all comes back to the students.

“I’m amazed at the students every single time I go on campus, how talented and smart they are,” Shari says.

Michael agrees: “UConn drives innovation and economic development for Connecticut. Supporting that mission means supporting the students who make it possible.”