George Sauer Obituary

My twin brother and I were discussing our elementary school teachers today. He mentioned his second grade teacher, Miss Speed, left mid-year to marry George. She taught at Walnut Creek Elementary in Austin, TX and was his teacher in 1965. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks.
[email protected]. RIP George. We remember you well.

Godspeed George, and thank you for sharing a part of your life with us...

Lived down the street from me in Bay Shore, NY. Manor Lane when he played for the Jets. I use to run by his house to see if I could catch a glimpse. Smart, athletic and I had the honor of connecting with him and seeing him play. Rest in peace... George.

Sorry I missed this sooner. He was a favorite of we Bills fans with his style and grace. Glad to have been burned by you, George! I'll be reading your literature this year!

I just learned about his death. I was a wide receiver who admired George so much, especially because we shared an interest in writing. He was one of the reasons why I pursued writing and football. Truly sorry to have stumbled upon this sad news.

ONE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE WHO I TRULY ADMIRED RIP AND GODSPEED

We miss you, George.

R.i.p coach
Chargers 1980

He coached me and my cousin in Charlotte, NC during semi pro days. Introduced me to Namath and came to find out what a great person and player George was.

having grown on LI in the 1960s i idolized george. quiet intelligence speaks volumes, he didn't say much, he didn't have to. i'm am so deeply sorry for your loss and any suffering george endured. my "bucket list" always included playing catch with george... RIP

I am a first cousin of George, his Father was an older brother of my Father Bob. I was born a month before George but hardly knew him because he lived in Waco while I grew up in Denver. I did get an opportunity to get to know him a little better when he came to Denver with the Jets when they played the Broncos twice in the seasons after their Super Bowl victory over the Colts. He spent an a very pleasant evening with us for dinner at my parent's home and he got us tickets for the games. At the end of the games, we had the honor of going down on the field and meeting some of the players. Joe Namath was especially gracious - he kissed my Mother on the cheek and posed for snapshots. After that time, we didn't stay in contact and I just now learned of his death. Dana, my love and sympathy goes out to you.

I am both saddened and relieved to find out about the end of George's suffering....I cared for him during the last 2 years of his life and learned so much from him.....about patience (hut, hut!!!!!) and grace and humor. My prayers and thoughts go out to you.....George is now truly free, when I cared for him I could see his frustration about his diminished capacity. It was in his eyes.....when I settled him in bed I always hugged him and kissed his forehead and I am so glad that I did. His smile lit up a room. I am so blessed to have been a part of his life, he loved to be read to as he ate his bedtime snack....PB and J and chocolate milk. Prayers to your family. ..

I have been acquainted with George since the early 70's and always thought he was a special person. My heart goes out to all of his loved ones.
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad time.

RIP

I met George while playing tennis at Freedom Park in Charlotte. Spent many sunny wonderful days talking and playing tennis. He was such a special person, so warm and friendly, accepting of everyone, and extremely intelligent. I hope we get to meet again when my time comes.

I was a budding hippie and football fan and George was able to bridge that gap for me rest in peace George

George Sauer was Cool Hand Luke in a football helmet. Godspeed on your journey. Will Holthouser

Dana: I did not know that your brother was living in Westerville. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

You were a noble and gentle soul George, and the best receiver I ever had. Godspeed.

I was a Junior in high school in 1966, loved the Jets,played tight end and wore #83. I admired George, followed every bit of his career, was shocked when he left the game and upset that it was impossible to keep up with his "afterlife". Later, when I read about his feelings and reasons for leaving...it made sense. I was also an art student and my conflicted feelings about violence in sport were confirmed by George's decision. Watching him play and rooting for him in particular are some of my fondest memories.
This old upper N.Y. state kid prays that he rest on peace.

Dana, I'm sure you don't remembr me (it's only been 50 years!!) but I met you and your parents when I was George's roommate at UT's Moore-Hill Hall. I was a student manager for four years and was the head manager of the national championship team. I couldn't have asked for a better roommate. He was a groomsman in my wedding. I'm sorry I lost track of him several years ago and am so sorry to learn of his illness. I lost both parents and both of my wife's parents to Alzheimer's so I understand your despair. It was clear he loved you because he was always talking about you! Looking back, George was probably one of the few "jocks" who wouldn't resent assigned to room with a lowly student manager! He was brilliant but rarely studied, instead playing stupid games with a group of 6-7 non-jocks. He was always the best, no matter what. One of the games we played was "baseball" in the hall, using a ping pong ball and a broken golf club handle. Each pitch looked like a Hoyt Wilhelm knuckleball with strikeouts much more prevalent than hits. Except George. He had such tremendous hand-eye coordination that he smashed the ball -- sometimes breaking it -- on the first pitch. I thought of him several years ago when I read about schoolboy slugger Bryce Harper and how his father had pitched increasingly smaller objects to him to hone his hand-eye coordination. We non-jocks would come up with all kinds of games and practice them for days before inviting George to join in (things like throwing quarters in a coffee can from across the dorm room, or pitching playing cards at a hat, or throwing a shuttlecock at a little wastebasket basketball goal. ) George ALWAYS won. It was uncanny. When he became bored with our lack of competition, he'd suddenly announced, "Okay, everybody out. I've got a quiz tomorrow." After locking the door he would pull out his guitar and play for hours. I would usually fall asleep to his music. I don't know if he crammed the rest of the night or even studied at all. One night we were stupidly playing like we were men of the cloth. We put white shirts on backwards, added a black pullover sweater and black blazer and were generally flirting with being struck by lightning. Then George suggested we go to the Pancake House on the Drag -- in our ministerial roles. We were sitting at a table calling each other Father so and So, when George suddenly stood up and announced to the stunned late night customers that he would like to give a blessing to all the customers. While the rest of us bit our lips to keep from laughing out loud he proceeded to throw together a stream of Latin words and phrases that made absolutely no sense (I took 3 semesters of Latin to avoid 2 semesters of math!) but sounded very impressive. Then we followed Father George out of the restaurant to a bunch of "bless you's" and "thank you, Father's."
I regret that we had not stayed in touch. God bless you.

I lived on North 29th, just right across the way from George and Dana's house. What a shock to hear such sad news. Darell Gill

May condolence to you and your family at this time,may the God of all comfort help you at this time of need. Psalms 65:2

I attended North Junior and Waco High with George. He was a grade ahead of me. He was well-liked and a super athlete. My prayers go out to Dana and his family.

I was best friends w/ George's sister all during our school years in Waco. I still remember 'Little Georgie'. I'm sure he just hated that - bless you, Dana, and RIP George.

The Sauers lived on MacArther and I lived just around the corner on Park Lake in Waco. We would sometimes share rides to and from Waco High.

Although George was a star jock and I was definitely not, he was easy to be friends with, and we never ran out of things to talk about on the rides. Good guy.

Played little league baseball with George; very good catcher and outstanding football player. In same high school class at Waco High School in Waco; great fun watching him playing football; my condolences to his family

God bless you and your family.

George was one of our most well-known classmates at Waco High School. He was an incredibly nice person. I was so saddened to hear this news. Rest in Peace, Waco High Tiger!!!!!
You are receiving catches in Heaven!!!
CJPC

I remember George from Advanced Latin and send my sympathy and condolences to Dana.

I was 13 watching the Jets each Sunday in 1968 Curt Gowdy doing play by play and culminating in the unbelievable Super Bowl III win. George Sauer catching each pass Namath threw his way. May the man find the greatest and lasting peace he sought at home with our Lord.

Dana, much love and many prayers are with you at this difficult time....

I never met George, but we talked several times on the phone. I worked for his Uncle Edward Sauer at Drackett in Urbana, OH and my mother cleaned for Meda & Ed when they lived on Maple in Urbana. Lillian & George(McArthur ave) invited me to dinner right after I moved to Waco. I remember they were so very and rightfully proud of George and all he had done and was doing. Please accept my sincere heart felt condolences for your lost.

Extremely saddened, Dana, by the loss of your brother and a great man. May God be with you and your family.

Thoughts and prayers to you , Dana and family.

my condolences to the family. i played for george in 79 with the carolina chargers. he was a legend to me, and i was stunned by his regular guy persona. he was a great player, person, and coach. funny and loving life. he will be missed.

May the thought and prayers of relatives and friends gives encouragement with George family and may God gives comfort and strenght to his family during this difficult time.
2 cor.1:4..Condolence.

Dana, I remember Georgie so well because he spent a lot of time at our house on MacAethur Drive. I can still hear his voice when he phoned Jim....
Missy, this is Georgie...." I remember how slowly he talked....and walked. He was obviously thinking great thoughts even then. I know he has found peace now. I have sent the article in the NYT on to Jim. He will be very sad too.....

you are remembered from your days at waco high. m.c.

To The Sauer family,
Our Deepest Sympathy for the loss of one of our prized receivers,that I was very fortunate to have met.George was very special in all of our hearts,for just being the truely great man that he honestly was.He will be remembered by all,and a special prayer will be read in his honor by Rabbi Goldblat,at Friday service.My Gods Angels deliver our dear friend to everlasting peace.Good bye my dear friend.
The Original Big'"E"
#62Left Tackle
And all of our devoted Love to all of you,THE RIEBMAN FAMILY

I worked with George during his time in Sioux Falls and we became good friends. We had many long talks about many things, some of it way over my head because he knew so much about so many things...science, medicine, history, poetry, music, lieterature....I could go on and on. An extremely talented, curious and intelligent human being and I'll always miss him. Goodbye old friend.

It was an honor and privledge to watch him play. He was one of the influences on my son who played HS, College and Semi Pro football.

May his family be blessed with wonderful memories until they are reunited with their loved one.

My heart go out to Mr George Sauer family,may God bless you in this time of deep sorrow.

SORRY FOR HIS LOSS.

RIP George!!

The receivers the Jets have today couild not wear your SOCKS!!

My sincere condolences to the family at this difficult time. May you find comfort in the promise that soon death will be no more... and never again will we have to bury our love ones again. (Rev.12:3,4)
With Deep Sympathy

May God's gentle peace fill your heart and comfort your soul today and
in the days to come, I am so very sorry for your loss. As you cherish
fond memories also know that God is with you and will provide peace
and hope in the days ahead.

My heart goes out to the family for your loss. May the God of comfort be with you during this sad time. 1 Pe. 5:7

George was like a big brother to me while I was in my early teens. We played many games of all different sports while he was living in San Francisco & visting Arizona. He was a big kid at heart....always asking "come on, one more game Matt" I miss ya George....RIP

I remember playing catch with you in Waco. You did good in life, May God hold you in His Palm. Your friend, Casey Wijey.

sorry for the loss of your loved one.God has said that he will comfort you in your time of need."You are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing."pslm.145:16....dm

I remeber him as a kid watching the Jets on TV. Curt Gowdy was always the announcer, I think. He caught everything thrown his way.He was a great one. Hall of Famer if he would have kept playing. I admire him for taking a stand on player treatment and walking away in his prime. God Bless.

As a boy growing up in a blue collar "NY Giants" town, I idolized the late 60's - early 70's NY Jets. Mr Sauer was one of my football heros. Whenever I went out for a pass in our street football games, I was "George Sauer". My friends never understood why I wanted to be "that AFL guy". I knew why. Not the fastest player, but cerebral, precise, and reliable. That's the player I wanted to be. Shocked me when he walked away from the game in 1970. At the time, didn't understand, now . . I do. Football is a brutal game that demands a gruesome price from the players. George saw that, and unfortunately may have paid that price in later life. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and former teammates.

You were one cool dude, and the way you sprinted to receive all those passes. Rest in Peace man...

George also was a member of the national champion Texas Longhorns in 1963. I cherished your football card when I was a kid. Thank you George and Hook 'em Horns!

one of the great players in one the greatest games where they had fun playing.

REST IN PEACE GEORGE. WE ALL ENJOYED WATCHING YOUR PERFORMANCE ON THE FIELD. YOU WERE A CLASS ACT.

Thank you George for special memories, That fantastic superbowl win was my favorite football game of all time. I remember it well. RIP. God Bless you and your family.

To George Sauer,
You were a great football player for the New York Jets. My prayers are with you and your family. Lisa Weiner

Dearest Dana, Jeff, and Greg: my deepest condolences on George's passing. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

I did not Mr Sauer when he played football. My mother was also at Manor Care for dementia. Sometimes we would pass in the hall and on occassion he would return our smiles. Sorry to hear of his passing. May your family feel the loving arms of our Heavenly Father with you at this time.

My sincere condolences to the family. May you seek comfort in the God of all comfort at this difficult time

in God's care rest in peace.

Thank you for sharing a part of your life with us.

He was a great football player, but, more importantly, a great friend. And I could talk to him about anything. I will miss him.

Love defines the man! You will remain in our hearts forever.

My sincere condolences to the family.  May God heal your hearts with words of comfort. Psalm 147:3

I have many great childhood memories of watching the Jets with my dad. Our last name is Sauer and my dad told me we were related. I have no idea if that was true or not, but the Jets were our favorite team. It has been many years since my dad has passed, but I still have a Jets sweatshirt with 83 and Sauer on it! Wish I could find a throwback jersey with his name and number to honor his memory. May you rest in peace, and your family find comfort!

I met George when he was living in my hometown of Sioux Falls, SD in 2001. I spoke with him about 2-3 times a week when he was working at Sunshine Food Store and he signed a football card for me and my son. After I was called back to active duty after 9/11 he wished me luck and told me to stay safe. My condolences to the family...R.I.P. George

Another piece of my childhood now part of the ages. At 52,some of my earliest sports memories was Namath-to-Sauer, Namath-to-Maynard, Namath handing off to Boozer, Namath handing off to Snell, Grantham with a big tackle,Sample picking one off, etc... All the above the reason I became, and will always be, a Jets fan. RIP, Mr. Sauer. You were a National Champ, a World Champ, and a champion off the field. Many condolences to your family.

George Sauer Sr. was my coach at the U S Naval Academy in 1948. That was a pleasure even tho our record was terrible. I met George Jr once when he returned to the Academy as a guest of my teammate, Tex Lawrence, for a reunion (about 40 yeaars later) of that team. We all appreciated his being there. RIP, George.

So very sorry for your loss. Alzheimer's is a cruel disease. George Sauer, Jr. was a fantastic wide receiver and I enjoyed watching him play along with the rest of that incredible NY Jets team. He leaves many good memories and will be missed.

George, you were so special to my family- Dr Cal Nicholas my dad was team Dr. and George spent many days at our home, playing tennis, guitar and being with my brothers and me with memories we will cherish forever. Always miss you, that smile and friendship! Our hearts hurt but know you brought joy to so many.RIP George.

As a Sigma Chi Fraternity brother of George in the early sixties at UT, I remember his calmness, courtesy, friendship and intelligence. Needless to say, he was a fine football player. My prayers are with all of the family. Ken Carr

So sorry to hear of George's passing. As a displaced Texan, I always cheer for Texas teams and Texas players. Heck, the whole 69 Jets team was comprised of Texans but for the QB. We'll miss you George. I was always a fan.

He and that Jets team are a wonderful memory from my teen years. I remember reading an interview with him in which he mentioned Albert Camus - definitely not the normal sports page topic! He seemed like a very special person, gifted in many ways.May he rest in peace.

A great athlete and role model. Thanks for the memories in the greatest Super Bowl played

Ms. Keifer, my condolences on the loss of your brother. I was 11 when he helped the Jets win that big game (my mother bought me a Jets 3-ring binder right after that!). Some of Mr. Sauer's concerns about professional football were prophetic, and I hope his death may bring his insights to a new and more receptive audience. My deep condolences at the death of a man who brought more joy than he probably realized. Thank you for caring for your brother, who (I pray) has found healing and peace in the hands of the One who made him.

George Sauer gave me some of my best sports memories; may your family be comforted knowing his impact on so many people's lives; rest in peace

To the Sauer Family,
Thoughts and Prayers to all of you! I was a WR & played with George in the WFL.What a great individual. He was always willing to help a rookie and was the last guy off the field every practice. He taught me a lot about football and life! What a great guy! Sorry for your loss. Kreg Kapitan

time has passed so fast seems like yesterday that my father brother and i were watching super bowl 3 thank you mr sauer for that special day i know life is more then football and so did you,rest in peace hope to see you on the other side,

I was in junior high school in Middleport, Ohio when I became a fan of the Jets. I had a little league teammate named George Sauer, I felt a special connection to George Sauer Jr. and his amazing catches. RIP my childhood hero, you could play!

He never got the recognition that he so deserved. And he was very handsome too. Great player from what I have seen & heard...RIP, George. God bless.

Me and my older sister were huge, huge George Sauer fans when he played for the Jets, We thought he was the most handsomest player, and so good at teamwork as well. So very sorry to hear of his passing.

I remember this guy from the Broadway Joe NY Jets. He was a good wide receiver. RIP.

george and i were at waco high together...although we didn't know one another, i've always been proud that WHS was represented in that historic superbowl win and that he had such a great NFL career...not bad for a teasip, eh?...my thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time...

George was an elegant athlete, who played with grace and courage.

rest in peace george

Amazing receiver. Superbowl Jets was one my earliest childhood memories. Thanks George. You were great.

He was a great football player. Very graceful and surehanded. It was alot of fun to watch him play. I spent a lot of afternoons at Shea Stadium watching the Jets play. He also seemed like a very classy individual. Very sad that he died fairly young.....condolences to his family and friends and the fans who enjoyed watching him play.

George Sauer was one of my heroes growing up - strong, dependable, talented, and hard working. He made the Jets what they were in 1969 and I will always remember him. God bless you George.

As a young NY Jets football fan in the mid 1960's I got the pleasure of seeing George Sauer Jr catch many a Joe Namath pass as he was a precise route runner and as sure handed as any player in the game. George was anything but the typical kind of athlete of the day, being well read and much more cerebral than most. He was a quiet but well respected as a leader with that team. He will be missed.

thanks for all the great catches with the J.E.T.S.!!! You and Joe made my childhood memorable.