OUR ROOTS

SERVICE FIRST

At Webb Youth Services, we know that a little support and a labor of love change the world. Our founder, Lockey Coughlin, learned this by watching her mother, Ceia, and grandparents, Muriel and Robert, help countless children through their charitable work.  Webb Youth Services was created to continue their mission. 

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Ceia Webb's life was one of service first, a deep-rooted belief passed on to her by her parents.  Her father, Robert M. Webb, Sr.,  graduated from William and Mary and taught at Princeton University; served in the armed forces; led the United Way chapters of Stamford and of Greenwich; and championed the establishment of Community Centers, Inc. in Greenwich. His groundbreaking work with New York City gangs is documented in a book he co-authored on the subject. 

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Ceia’s mother, Muriel S. Webb, graduated from Connecticut College at the age of eighteen, completing her education at the Columbia University School of Social Work.  She served on the vestry of Christ Church Greenwich until relocating to Geneva, Switzerland to serve on the World Council of Churches. She authored three books on the vital role of community service and worked tirelessly to champion the cause of Asian immigration in America.

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Ceia, a social worker and community advocate in her own right, ran an open and inclusive home filled with love and support for her children and their peers, many of whom considered her a surrogate mom.  Her drive to help others led her to establish several charity organizations including her most recent venture started in 2003, Rebuilding Together Litchfield County (RTLC). In Ceia's tenure as Executive Director, RTLC repaired 241 homes in northwestern Connecticut for low-income veterans, elderly, and disabled individuals.

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Ceia Webb passed away in the summer of 2019, but her legacy of service survives her through the countless people she helped and through Webb Youth Services, which she helped to establish.

Ceia's daughter, Lockey, began her years of service while at The Fredrick Gunn School in Washington, CT, where she was honored with The Gunn Association Prize, given for excellence in charitable work.  She continued her service while at Hartwick College, in Oneonta, NY, and then through Education without Walls in New Milford, CT.​  Lockey's mission is to see every child fulfill their potential, for themselves and in their own way and time.  Her students have found success in college, in the business world, in tech, in publishing, and in entertainment; many are engaging in their own mission to change the world for the better.

Education without Walls has given tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships and work-study programs, but Lockey wanted to be able to cover expenses outside of this purview for our young leaders.  Webb Youth Services was founded to fill this additional need.

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