Francis M. Saba

Shrewsbury – Francis "Frank” M. Saba loved to share his definition for the meaning of life. For him, everything that matters fell into one of three buckets – dreams, relationships, and memories. Who can say if he cracked the code, but, undoubtedly, Frank led a life that he loved which was filled with dreams (mostly for his family and his beloved University of Michigan football team), loving relationships, and memories that will endure long beyond him.

While Frank achieved many significant things in his life, he was the proudest of his family and the four most important women in his world: Wendy, Sara, Jenny, and Kate. They were all with him on Saturday, January 18, 2025, when he died peacefully after a valiant battle with cancer. He was 75.

Frank was born on August 11, 1949, in Brockton, the son of the late Francis L. and Margaret A. (Kelley) Saba. His childhood in Brockton included an impressive Little League career that ended one game short of the Little League World Series. He graduated from Boston College High School in 1967, where he continued to excel in athletics, and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Harvard University in 1971. Frank later earned his Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of Michigan in 1976. He married his beloved wife, Concord native Elizabeth, “Wendy,” C. Webster, on August 26, 1978, in Trinity Episcopal Church in Concord. They moved to Shrewsbury in 1984 and raised their three girls there before moving to Boylston in 2020.

Frank’s professional career began as a middle school science teacher at Holy Family School in Rockland. His first healthcare administrative role was with Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston. He then served in several administrative roles at UMass Hospital and UMass Medical School in Worcester, before transitioning to Milford Regional Medical Center, the healthcare institution that truly defined his remarkable career. Frank’s dream for Milford was to create a world class healthcare system that would provide outstanding care and service to all residents of the community. He fulfilled that dream, overseeing numerous transformative projects like the Center for Adolescent and Young Adult Health, the Meehan Family Pavilion, and the Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center. He was proudest of the culture and environment that he was able to create in Milford. He invested in his people and showed them that he valued them no matter what role they played in the hospital, greeting everyone by name and asking them about their families. He received numerous awards and accolades in recognition of his contributions to the Milford community and the healthcare field in general, including but not limited to Milford Man of the Year and Health Executive of the Year by the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Outside of his career, Frank gave back to his Central Mass community in so many ways. He spent many years coaching Shrewsbury Youth Baseball, Pop Warner football, and the St. Mary’s basketball team. It was not uncommon for Frank to be approached by an adult who still remembered him from playing on one of Frank’s teams 20 or 30 years prior. Frank was also, for much of his life, a devout member of St. Mary’s Parish, and he served on its parish council and taught CCD classes out of his home for his own daughters and children in the neighborhood. 

After his retirement from Milford Regional Medical Center, Frank served as a consultant for Riverside Community Care in Dedham and as a middle school advisor for Saint Mary’s School. His daughters worried that a 70-year-old man might have trouble connecting with middle schoolers, but again they underestimated Frank’s ability to connect with anyone through humor and a sincere interest in who they are. Retirement also afforded Frank time to work with Wendy on community theatre productions presented by Stepping Stone Community Theatre, an inclusive theatre company in Uxbridge. He might not have been a gifted actor, but he contributed mightily to that program through his love for the stage and his unique gift for uplifting members of this community.

Finally, this tribute would not be complete without remembering Frank’s passion for the University of Michigan’s athletics program, especially its football team. The college motto “Go Blue” ran deep through his veins and he loved to outfit his children and grandchildren in Michigan apparel. He was a football season ticket holder, and he loved his annual trips with Wendy to Ann Arbor to watch a game and spend time with his graduate school friends. The family cherishes the memory of witnessing Frank’s excitement over Michigan winning the 2024 National Championship.

In addition to his wife of 46 years, Wendy, Frank leaves his daughters, Sara Saba-Sher (Lee Sher) of Wakefield, Jennifer Saba (Ben Rubach) of Chicago, Illinois, and Katherin Brewer (Dave) of Quincy; his grandchildren, Webster and Tate Sher, Frankie Rubach, and Bailey Brewer; his siblings, Denise Wood (late Anthony) of Arlington, Paul Saba of Newburyport, and Peter Saba (Jean) of Scituate; nieces and nephews, Peter Wood (Nina) and Julie Wood, and Paul and Owen Saba; and many cousins he deeply loved.

Family and friends will honor and remember Frank by gathering on Saturday, February 1, 2025, in Saint Mary’s Church, 640 Main Street, Shrewsbury, for a funeral Mass to be celebrated at 11 a.m. A Life Celebration will follow at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, 284 E. Temple Street, Boylston, at 12:30 p.m. All are welcome. “Go Blue!”

There are no calling hours, and burial in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord is private.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to Shrewsbury Youth & Family Services, 222 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 or https://syfs-ma.org/. The family also encourages random acts of kindness in honor of Frank, as this would most embody Frank’s spirit.

 Arrangements by James + John Heald of The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street, Waltham. 

Complete obituary to follow.