Sally Borden, age 69, passed away peacefully in her home on August 11, 2026, with her husband of 38 years, Joseph Arioli, and her two children, Daniel and Melissa, by her side. Her passing came after living with colon cancer for six and a half years.
Sally led a beautiful, full and meaningful life. She was a dedicated wife, mother, friend, sister, aunt, daughter and community member. She devoted her career to helping children and preventing child abuse and neglect, most notably as the longtime executive director of KidSafe Collaborative in Burlington.
The second of four daughters, Sally was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Morton and Estelle (Schachter) Borden. Her father was a history professor, and early in his career his work took the family from Ohio to Montana, then Madrid, before they finally settled in her hometown of Santa Barbara, Calif. Her mother unexpectedly passed away when Sally was 8 years old. Remarkably for the mid-1960s, Morton raised his four daughters as a single father for four years before marrying Penn (Torganrud) Borden.
Growing up, her sisters describe Sally as a fearless rebel who hung with the hippie crowd in high school and hitchhiked without fear. Her rebellious spirit and deep empathy led her to activism and service at a young age. In high school, she shared her love of the outdoors as a counselor for at-risk teens at Outward Bound.
Sally graduated from the University of California, Davis in 1979 with a major in history and later earned her master of education from Cambridge College in 1985.
Sally began her career at the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, where she served as director of victim/witness assistance. At the DA’s office, she worked as an advocate for victims and witnesses of the most serious cases prosecuted in the district. She is credited with establishing many of the program’s training and hiring procedures, as well as safe waiting spaces for victims and child-friendly interview spaces within the DA’s office, practices that are now considered standard. A colleague from the time shared that “Sally was smart, a gifted communicator, and a fierce advocate. She was never afraid to call out an injustice or give credit when deserved.”
Her work and training skills led her to accept a statewide position as director of training at the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance, where she established statewide curricula and training on victimization and victims’ rights for those involved in sensitive cases.
Her career later brought her back to California, where she served as executive director of Shelter Against Violent Environments, Inc. (SAVE) and as co-executive director of the Domestic Violence Law Project of Southern Alameda County. At SAVE, she directed a nonprofit that provided shelter, transitional housing and community services to domestic violence survivors and their children, while also advocating for policies and legislation affecting survivors.
On July 23, 1988, Sally married her “rock,” Joe Arioli, with whom she shared a commitment to family, friends and serving others. Throughout their long partnership, Sally and Joe embraced Vermont’s community spirit and natural beauty, as well as the ongoing search for the best maple creemee in the state. Joe still refers to her lovingly as “The Wife of my Life.”
Sally and Joe became parents in 1993 when they adopted Daniel while living in Los Altos, Calif. Shortly after moving to Vermont, they welcomed Melissa, in 1996. Sally was an excellent mother and loved her children deeply and unconditionally. She was a calm and patient parent, never shying away from difficult conversations and always letting her children know they were safe and loved.
In 1998, Sally began her work with KidSafe Collaborative, a community-based nonprofit in Burlington, Vt., dedicated to improving the health, safety and well-being of children and families. She served as KidSafe’s executive director from 2001 until her retirement in 2023.
Sally led KidSafe with vision and grace. She transformed the organization from a dues-paying member agency into a traditional nonprofit and put collaboration at the forefront of everything she did. She was a skilled leader and team builder with an extraordinary ability to make people feel heard, understood and valued. She put child protection at the center of her work and, even in the face of seemingly impossible situations, found ways to get things done. As one colleague put it, “Sally was magic, and she created magic.”
Sally’s leadership extended to numerous community initiatives. She was involved with the Children and Recovering Mothers (CHARM) team, a multidisciplinary group that coordinates services for pregnant and postpartum women with a history of substance-use disorder and their infants. With a proven track record of improving health outcomes for mothers and their babies, CHARM has been nationally recognized as an innovative model.
For many years, Sally also served on the advisory board of Vermont Kin as Parents, a nonprofit supporting family members who are raising the children of relatives. She convened countless meetings of the Chittenden County Child Protection and Family Support Team, which brought together social workers, educators and others to support parents facing challenges to child safety. Sally guided the process with a firm but kind hand, helping identify practical solutions such as affordable childcare, counseling, transportation vouchers, or something as seemingly simple, but essential, as finding a bed for a child who had been sleeping on the family’s couch.
At the statewide level, Sally cochaired the Vermont Citizens’ Advisory Board, the citizen panel that reviews the Vermont Department for Children and Families’ policies, practices and procedures related to child protection. She led the creation of Vermont’s mandated reporter training and served on the Vermont Child Fatality Review Team.
Sally received numerous awards for her work and unwavering dedication. Her contributions were recognized with a California State Assembly Resolution of Recognition, the Administration for Children & Families Commissioner’s Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Vermont Agency of Human Services Community Award, and the Queen City Police Foundation Antonio B. Pomerleau Medal of Honor, presented by U.S. senator Patrick Leahy.
As meaningful as Sally’s professional life was, her work was only one part of who she was. She had a lively social network and maintained deep relationships with family and friends from every season of her life. A dedicated letter writer, Sally always remembered to send a card on birthdays, holidays and just because. An avid reader, she was known for her ability to give the perfect book, often a signed copy, and then follow up to discuss it. She had a positivity and warmth that made anyone who was close to her feel special. She was known to listen without judgment and with genuine curiosity, no matter who was speaking. Sally cared deeply for other people and sought deep, meaningful connections with everyone in her life. She opened her home to those in need, and she never hesitated to pull up a chair to the table to welcome someone to sit beside her.
She found immense empowerment through her workout classes at Artemis Fitness and peace in her backyard garden, where she and Joe lovingly tended their vegetables and flowers. She adored their dog, Taz, who stayed by her side until the very end. She remained the fearless activist her sisters remembered from her youth. Sally was outspoken against injustice wherever she saw it, and throughout her health challenges, she continued protesting every Saturday until she was physically unable to do so.
Sally’s impact on her community and on the people who loved her was incredible. She will be deeply missed, and her memory lives on in the many people who are better for having known her.
Sally was predeceased by her father, Morton Borden; her mother, Estelle Borden; and her stepmother, Penelope Borden.
Sally is survived by her husband, Joe Arioli; her children, Melissa and Daniel; and her sisters, Jess Millikan, Lucy Cesar and Kate Erickson.
The family would like to thank Dr. Marc Greenblatt and the entire oncology team for the excellent care Sally received at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Sally’s family is also deeply grateful to all who have surrounded Sally with love and support across these difficult years.
Those seeking to honor Sally may consider a donation to the KidSafe Collaborative Sally Borden Fund (kidsafevt.org/sallyfund).