Edward N. Schaye

Edward N. Schaye
1929-2020

Edward N. Schaye of Longboat Key, FL, husband of Harriet B. Schaye of blessed memory, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2020 just shy of his 91st birthday.  Edward was born the 10th of August 1929 in Dekalb, IL, and married Harriet Burt on February 22, 1953. He was class of 1946 at Beloit Memorial, and class of 1950 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also served as a Quartermaster in the Wisconsin National Guard. He and Harriet lived in Beloit, WI and raised their family there, eventually buying a second home in Longboat Key in 1978 and relocating here permanently in 1997.

In an introduction to her poem The Dash, writer Linda Ellis said “I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her casket from beginning to the end. He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years. For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth and now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.”  Edward Schaye packed an enormous amount of love, laughter, hard work and life into his “dash” and along the way touched the lives of so many people.

He was successful in a wide variety of businesses, taking over his father’s company Bob Schaye Motors before buying Logan Trucking in 1960, a business that continues today, as well as other side businesses. He loved that his son Robert III joined him full time at Logan Trucking and that they were able to work together for so many years before he retired and left the company in Robert’s capable hands.

He was cherished by his family as a devoted husband and father, brother and uncle, and a doting grandparent and great-grandparent.  His marriage to Harriet was a strong partnership for their 60 years together, as they raised their children, built their businesses, and gave tirelessly of themselves to many humanitarian causes that moved them. Never was their bond more evident than during his kind and loving care of her during her final years. This impulse to caregiving that he modeled was passed down, and his eldest son John relocated a few years ago to serve as his fulltime caregiver with the same loving spirit that his father had shown his mother.

He set a strong example for his family, and is remembered by daughter Elizabeth for instilling in his children the importance of being charitable and the concept of “paying it forward” from watching their parents’ involvement in the many organizations who were the lucky beneficiaries of their time and support. That spirit of deep generosity was evident in the many organizations to which he devoted his time.

Edward was known for his passionate commitment to philanthropic pursuits in the Greater Sarasota region, including serving as a volunteer for the Community AIDS Network from 2001, and as the Chair of the Board of Directors from 2008-2014. During his tenure CAN grew from a one clinic organization in Sarasota to the 2nd largest HIV organization in the US with over 36 locations nationwide.  Tanya Schreibman, Board member and Doctor at CAN remembers “He led the organization through so much, and always with the thought that CAN was there for our patients first and foremost.”

“I’ve known Ed since 2001” Says Richard E. Carlisle, President and CEO of CAN Community Health. “Ed was a Papa Bear to the staff at the clinic. He enjoyed visiting with our founder, Susan Terry, and the clinic staff while he volunteered his time. Ed loved to walk the halls of the office to say hello to everyone, genuinely taking an interest in everyone at the clinic. In 2008 Ed became Chairperson of our Board and provided many years of compassionate leadership to this organization.  Ed was, and will always be, a beloved member of the CAN team.”

He was also very active in JFCS, serving as a Member of the Board of Directors 2001-2007, Member of the Finance Committee, and Volunteer at the JFCS Warehouse. He hosted the JFCS Ambassador Outreach event in 2002, was a Member of the JFCS Gala Committees 2001 – 2005, served as the Chair of the JFCS Gala 2002 and was the Recipient of the JFCS Community Outreach Award in 2007.

He served on the Board of directors for Designing Women Boutique since 2005 and is remembered by dear friend Molly Schecter as a very hands-on volunteer. “For many years he was affectionately known as the ‘shop husband’. If we needed a sign for Fashion Week, Ed got it, if donations had to be dropped off at Goodwill, Ed did it, he schlepped clothes to show locations, handled reservations and check-in…the only thing Ed didn’t do was say no!”

A lifelong devotee of the game of tennis, Schaye also served as a board member of the Suncoast Tennis league for 16 years and was honored by that organization in 2013 for his efforts.

Edward Schaye is survived by his sons, John Schaye and Robert Schaye III and his daughter Elizabeth Ballis (Stephen Ballis), his granddaughters Stacey Ballis (Bill Thurmond) and Deborah Ballis Hirt (Andrew Hirt), grandsons Bruce Perlow, Lee Perlow (Nikki Morris), and Andrew Schaye (Marianna Lopert-Schaye), and grandaughters Collier Leviton (Brett Leviton), and Jourdan Schaye. Great-granddaughters Meredith Perlow, Piper Morris-Perlow, and great-grandsons Aaron Perlow, Eli Morris-Perlow and Oliver Lopert-Schaye.

Due to the current circumstances, there will be no public service or memorial. The family requests that those who wish to honor his memory do so with donations to: JFCS of the Suncoast, CAN Community Health Sarasota, or Designing Women Boutique Sarasota.