Vitaly Sorkin, 50

LINCOLN, R.I. – Vitaly M. Sorkin died on Nov. 22, 2021, following a debilitating illness. He was born in 1971 in Gomel, Belarus, to a family of an engineer and a teacher. Early in his childhood, Vitaly developed an interest in mathematics and science as well as intellectual games, becoming a nationally ranked player in international draughts by the age of 15.

Vitaly enrolled in the University of Gomel, majoring in physics. However, after moving to the U.S. with his family in 1990 and settling in Rhode Island, Vitaly chose to pursue the occupation of accountant. In 1994, he graduated from Bryant College summa cum laude, then passed the two-day CPA exam, achieving the highest score in the nation among 69,000 peers. Vitaly was awarded the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants – the first and only Rhode Islander to achieve this honor since the inception of CPA exam scores in 1923. To commemorate this achievement, the RI Governor proclaimed one of the days in 1995 a Vitaly Sorkin Day in the state.

For almost two decades, Vitaly worked for KPMG Peat Marwick and then Iron Mountain. In 2013, however, he opted to leave the accounting profession and follow his passion for math and teaching. Vitaly opened the Squared School Academy of Mathematics, a very popular and successful school on the East Side of Providence, where, in addition to supervising all the school operations, he developed curriculum and taught gifted K-12 children.

Vitaly will be dearly missed by his parents, Mark and Inna, his brother Gary and daughter Emily as well as his extended family, friends, colleagues and students.