Obituary of Reginald Stanley VanSavage

Reginald “Reg” Van Savage, 96, of Sun City Center, Florida, passed away on Thursday, July 27, 2023. 

Reg was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in November 1926. He joined the U.S. Army, serving in the Philippines and Korea in World War II. After his discharge, he attended Seton Hall College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business.

He made a career in the retail industry, spending his first 25 years with W.T. Grant managing eight different stores in various cities. After leaving Grants, he became a co-owner of three children’s apparel stores.

Reg retired in 1990 and moved to Sun City Center in 1992. He and his wife Frances enjoyed the pleasant life abounding here, participating in many volunteer activities and clubs. Reg particularly loved golf and swimming.

Reg and Frances volunteered at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and the Sun City Center Emergency Squad. He was a parishioner at Prince of Peace Catholic Church and was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion, the Elks and the Pennsylvania Club.

He was preceded in death by his wife Frances in 2009. He is survived by his daughter, Deborah VanSavage Jones (John) of Cheltenham, Maryland; granddaughter Natalie Marie Jones of Annapolis, Maryland; sister Alice Shimkus of Linden, New Jersey; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial Mass will be held at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Sun City Center on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023 at 11 a.m. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the BrightFocus Foundation’s macular degeneration research in his memory.