Frank FLEISCHER

1938 - 2021

FLEISCHER, Frank N. from Longboat Key, Florida died on September 10, 2021, from leukemia. He was 83. Frank was born in 1938 in Portland, Maine, the son of Max Fleischer and Sadye Fleischer (Jacobson). As a child during World War II, Frank recalled that he had to keep the shades down because of a German submarine off the coast of Portland and that his mother collected excess cooking fat to help the army produce explosives. Frank graduated from Deering High School, where he first recognized that his leadership skills surpassed his athletic skills (he was manager of the football team). Frank graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1960, where he was President of the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity. In 1965, Frank graduated from Boston University Law School. While at BU, he met his wife, Barbara Chapper of Swampscott, Massachusetts, on a blind date. They were married on August 25, 1963. Frank was a nationally recognized corporate lawyer, specializing in municipal bonds and corporate securities. Frank began his career at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., where he also attended Georgetown University Law Center for his LL.M. in Taxation, and then joined Boston's Nutter, McClennen & Fish. In 1971, Frank made the change from big law firm life and New England winters and moved to Tampa, Florida to join what would become the law firm of Schifino & Fleischer. Frank and his partner and friend Bill Schifino represented a number of prominent clients, including Tech Data, Raymond James, the Tampa International Airport Aviation Authority. Before retiring in 2016, Frank was a partner at Gray Robinson, where he led their public finance practice and pioneered working from home in both Longboat Key, Florida and Raymond, Maine. Frank had an exemplary record of public service. He was on the Board of Directors at Tampa General Hospital for over a decade and Board Chair for two years. During his retirement, he dedicated his time to nonprofit Board work, which included being Board Chair at Senior Friendship Centers, a founding Board member at CenterPlace Health (a Federally Qualified Health Center with five locations in Sarasota), and a member of the Finance Committee of Sarasota Memorial Hospital. In addition to his nonprofit work, Frank enjoyed swimming in Sebago Lake, visits with his four grandchildren, and meals out with Barbara and friends (where he could be counted on to request tables away from the kitchen, slow service, burnt toast, and burning hot soup). Frank and Barbara also enjoyed traveling and Sarasota's many performing arts. Frank is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara; his children, Stefanie (Alex) Seldin and David (Verónica); grandchildren, Max, Lily, John and Mateo; and sister, Nancy Bellew. A funeral service will be held on September 13 at 11 am at Stanetsky-Hymanson Memorial Chapel, #10, Vinnin St, Salem, MA 01970. Donations in his memory can be made to Senior Friendship Centers, https://friendshipcenters.org, which provide services to older adults in Southwest Florida.