Saturday, November 14, 2026
“Is it raining in here,” Eddie Saeks paused to ask the rabbi — right in the middle of his bar mitzvah speech. He was having difficulty reading it due to the teardrops that kept falling onto the paper.
Why was he crying? Because he had been in the process of thanking his family… not for driving him to his lessons, coordinating a lovely kiddush or throwing him an “epic” party to celebrate his accomplishment. No. He was thanking them for their courage in making the journey from Lithuania, where they had lived “in dread of oppression, prejudice and brutality,” to the United States, “because of their desire for a life of freedom, safety, and a future filled with hope.”
While it might not have been the typical bar mitzvah speech, his was not a “typical” bar mitzvah. It states in the bible that a normal lifespan is 70 years. By that logic, when a person turns 83, he or she can be considered 13 in a second lifetime. As such, Eddie decided to commemorate his 83rd birthday by having a second bar mitzvah to celebrate this milestone in his life.
That was ten years ago, and every day before and since, Dr. Edward H. Saeks lived his life with love, compassion, and gratitude for his many blessings until the day he died on January 19, 2023, peacefully, at home with his beloved wife, Karen by his side.
“There are no measuring tapes, or yardsticks long enough to gauge the impact Eddie had on so many lives,” explains Karen. “It’s nearly impossible to innumerate his accomplishments, his incredible acts of kindness and selflessness, and his giving and compassionate heart.”
All who had the privilege of being part of his life agree that he was always there to help before he was asked, and he performed random acts of kindness without ever expecting reward or recognition. He was eternally grateful for his lot in life and always stepped up to help others less fortunate.
“No one was more empathetic or compassionate toward others, or truly appreciative for what he had than Eddie,” adds Karen. “He was a credit to his People and his community, to his parents and grandparents, to his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, his family and friends, and all who knew and loved him.”
Edward (Eddie) Saeks, z’l’, was born in Dayton, Ohio on October 7, 1929 to Abraham and Josephine Saeks. He had two brothers: Harlan (Hank) Saeks z’ l & Keith Saeks z’l’. In 1947 he attended the University of Cincinnati, for both undergraduate studies and medical school. He performed his residency at The Jewish Hospital until 1958, at which time he enrolled in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base where he became the Chief of Surgery until 1960.
Upon completing his work with the Air Force, he returned to Cincinnati to join a well-established and respected surgical practice, headed up by Dr. Joe Heiman and Dr. Edward Woliver. He became President of the Medical Staff of The Jewish Hospital, served on the Board of Directors, and was one of two physicians at the time to have had the honor of being invited to join the Executive Board.
He loved investigating and learning new procedures and was at the forefront of his career as one of first physicians in Cincinnati to use hyperalimentation; better known today as TPN (total parenteral nutrition). He was also instrumental in convincing the Jewish Hospital to purchase surgical stapling equipment and was one of the first surgeons to be certified in Laparoscopic Surgery.
He was beloved by his coworkers and the many patients he cared for over his nearly 40 year career. “Sharing the same last name as my uncle made me somewhat of a celebrity in Cincinnati,” says his nephew Sonny Saeks. “More times than I can count, as soon as people would hear my name, they would immediately sing his praises, tell me how he saved their lives and extol his kind and compassionate bedside manner. It made me incredibly proud to know what a difference he made in so many lives,” he adds. “There were even a handful of times in which people actually showed me their scars. I had one man pull up his entire shirt to show me his incision right in the middle of a restaurant!”
Eddie and his family became members of Isaac M. Wise Temple in 1960, in no small part due to the influence of his mentor, Abe Braude who was a very active member there. Feeling a responsibility to take on a leadership role, Eddie joined the Temple’s Board of Directors, serving as Vice President several times, until, in 1975, he became President.
One of the projects that Eddie was most proud of was helping to start the Friends of Plum Street Temple, along with Rabbi Alan Fuchs and Abe Braude, to raise funds to renovate this national historic landmark. This work resulted in a building restoration in 1994-1995 which gave it a renewed sense of vitality, bringing it back to much the same way it looked when it was built more than130 years ago.
Eddie and Karen were also residents of Marco Island, Florida and members of the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island. Eddie is survived by his wife, Karen, his son, Steve Saeks (Trina Brodsky), daughter, Judy Gable, and son, Joel Saeks. He was the loving grandfather of five grandsons: David Gable (Eleni), Dr. Jonathan Gable (Dr. Carrie Shiau-Gable), great-grandson Damien) Michael, Douglas, and Benjamin Saeks and great grandson, Damien. He was the devoted Uncle to many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and a friend to many.
“Eddie took his responsibility as a Jew very seriously, but his humanity is what was most exemplary,” says Karen. “Time and again he proved, not only through his words, but through his actions, that he was the true definition of a mensch.” May his memory be for a blessing.
The family has requested that contributions made in his memory be directed to
Isaac M. Wise Temple, Plum Street Historic Preservation Fund or The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island.
