Francis (Frank) Paul Saier's Obituary
Francis (Frank) Paul Saier passed away on April 26, 2023 at Haven Hospice after a long and hard fought battle against cancer. Frank was born on March 24, 1945 in Nyack, New York to Francis and Marie (Paul) Saier.
At the age of two his family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, where he grew up. He attended Forest Hills High School and was on both the basketball team, which had an undefeated season, and the track team. Upon graduating from high school he attended Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina on a basketball scholarship. He also was on the track team at Furman and it was there that he met track coach, Jimmy Carnes, who became his coach, his mentor and a lifelong friend. Coach Carnes moved to Gainesville, Florida while Frank was at Furman and became the coach for the University of Florida track team. Not long after, he offered Frank a track scholarship to come to the University of Florida and Frank accepted. Frank’s event on the track team was the high-jump and in 1968 he became the first high-jumper in the Southeastern Conference to clear 7 feet. In recognition of this accomplishment he was inducted into The Track and Field Hall of Fame of Florida in 1984.
Frank continued his education at the University of Florida by attending and graduating from the UF Law School in 1971. Upon graduation he moved to Boca Raton, Florida and accepted a position with the firm of Tylander, deClaire, Becker & Van Kleeck. It was in Boca Raton that he met and married his wife of 48 years, Penny. While residing in Boca Raton he began a lifelong commitment to community service, having served as an original board member of the Boca Raton Historical Society and an involvement with fund-raising for the Boca Raton YMCA.
In 1977 Frank and Penny, with their daughter, Erin, moved back to Gainesville (their son, Scott, was born in Gainesville in 1979). Along with a desire to escape the pace of living in South Florida, it was Frank’s passion and devotion to the University of Florida athletic program that led him back. He accepted a position with the firm of Birr, Bryant & Saba, P.A. which became Birr, Bryant & Saier, P.A. In 1985 he decided to go out on his own as a sole practitioner. He continued in private practice for several years, but in 1997 he joined the long established law firm of Scruggs & Carmichael, P.A. In 2014 he, upon deciding to become semi-retired, went out on his own again becoming the Law Office of Frank P. Saier, P.A. and continued his practice until just months before his passing. In 2021 he was recognized by the Florida Bar Association as having been a practicing member for 50 years..
After his move to Gainesville he continued his service to his community. He served as a member, officer and/or director of many community organizations. Among these were Rotary Club of Gainesville (having received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award); Friends of Paynes Prairie; Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee; Sports in Florida, Inc. (originally Sunshine State Games Foundation, Inc. ) and The Track and Field Hall of Fame of Florida, Inc.. He served for more than fifteen years on the Board of Directors of Capital City Bank. He was also active in the Gainesville Quarterback Club having served one year as Captain. While in college he was a brother in the Gamma Theta Chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity. He continued his relationship with Sigma Chi upon returning to Gainesville becoming a Life Loyal Sig and serving as president of the house corporation for more than 30 years.
Frank was a devoted husband and father. He and Penny and their children loved traveling, making many family trips across country, to most of the states. In the few years before his death he and Penny finally completed their travels to all 50 states. They also traveled to many foreign countries, many of these trips with good friends and his sister and her husband. He was a passionate fan of all Gator sports and had, for 40 years, season tickets to both football and basketball. He was also an avid golfer, shooting one of his lowest scores ever at the age of 77..
His dedication to his law practice and his clients and his commitment to community involvement will be greatly missed. His love for and devotion to his family will leave a space that can never be filled. He lived his life as a champion and was a champion to his life’s end.
Preceding him in death were his parents, Francis and Marie (Paul) Saier. He is survived by his wife, Penny, his daughter, Erin (Todd) Huber, his son, Scott Saier, his granddaughter (and namesake) Frances Rose Huber and his grandson, Spencer Abe Huber, his sister Sally (Harry) Brinkema and his sister, Carol Saunders, together with several nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.
A memorial service will be held on July 1st at the Baughman Center on the University of Florida Campus.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Frank’s memory would be appreciated and can be made to any of the following:
Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation, 12902 Magnolia Drive, MBC-FOUND Tampa, FL 33612 Sports in Florida, Inc, f/b/o The Track and Field Hall of Fame of Florida, c/o 4110 NW 37th Place, Ste B, Gainesville, FL 32606
Haven Hospice, https://beyourhaven.org/memorialgifts; or
Friends of Paynes Prairie, https://prairiefriends.org/donate
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