James "Jim" Sauer, 83, died Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at Advent Hospital East Orlando, Orange County, Florida. He was born April 16, 1937 in the Independence, Iowa, hospital, the son of Imogene (Hoover) Sauer and Arlie Sauer.
Surviving Jim is his wife Kay Sauer; his three sisters, Betty Pierce and Kathy Welton of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Peggy Turner of Miami, Florida; and one brother, Kent, of Marian, Iowa.
Preceding him in death were his parents, his sister Carolyn Moore and an infant brother, Jerry.
Jim graduated from Winthrop Consolidated High School and Junior High in 1956. He spent K-6 in one-room rural schools, which he credits with providing him with the real basics. After his graduation he worked for area farmers until his 1958-1960 service in the U.S. Army. After he returned from the Army, he set up farm machinery and later installed household appliances for Iowa Light and Power.
In 1962, Jim married Kay Fisher. Later, they moved to Orlando, Florida, where he spent 27 years working for Orange County installing and maintaining large-scale HVAC units. He retired in 2000.
During his retirement, Jim and Kay enjoyed biking on his rebuilt and redesigned bikes. Travel took them to three World Fairs, the southwestern states and back home to Iowa to see family and friends.
To support the Reform Party group "United We Stand America," Jim traveled to Las Vegas and Lynchburg, Virginia. He was elected to the leadership of area groups interested in the same goals. Jim's activism involved everything from fighting the installation of neighborhood speed humps to gathering petitions against NAFTA, which he felt strongly harmed America's middle class.
While we wait until it's time for us to safely gather again, if you would like to remember Jim and his great sense of humor, please call Kay at (407) 275-8897. All calls will be returned. Jim will be dearly missed. As one niece put it, "He was a hoot!"