Gary P. Sauerborn

Gary Paul Sauerborn passed away peacefully on April 12, 2026 at the age of 73, after prolonged illness. He was born the second of four siblings in 1952 to his parents Eugene and Dolores (née Camelia) Sauerborn. A lifelong New Jerseyan, Gary grew up in Mountainside and Roseland, settling in Clifton in 1988.

Gary held many jobs in his young adulthood, including a short stint as a Manhattan cab driver in the late 70s, before pivoting to residential real estate. He met his wife of 37 years while showing her a Hoboken condo—while she did not take the condo in the end, he still closed the deal. Gary later went on to have a long and fulfilling career in commercial real estate, working as a broker in northern New Jersey at NAI James E. Hanson for more than 30 years. There, Gary represented corporate clients in the retail land development and industrial areas of commercial real estate, was top salesperson of the quarter numerous times, and was frequently ranked in the top five brokers within the company. Gary’s dedication to his work was rivaled only by his love for a good prank, becoming so well known in his office for his funny stories that he was once gifted a notebook in which to jot down his humorous observations.

Outside of work, Gary was an enthusiastic lover of travel and good food with family (both relatives as well as his Hanson work family) and friends. Gary adored pizza, sweets, and coffee, and once planned a trip to Paris primarily for purposes of partaking in delicious French pastries. He taught his daughters blackjack on an airplane tray table on a family trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon before either of them was of legal age to play, and savored summer trips up to Lake George, NY. Gary was also an avid watcher and player of tennis, attending both the US and French Opens, where he especially enjoyed watching Gael Monfils and Novak Djokovic. He was an ardent follower and yeller-atter of NFL football and (confusingly) a devotee of both Tom Brady and the New York Giants.

Despite horsing around during his own student days, Gary instilled in his daughters the importance of education. He was generous with his support and encouragement of others to pursue their dreams, putting his daughters through college and law school, and supporting his wife in becoming a Master Gardener. Though he held lofty ideas of what his family could achieve, Gary never imposed pressure or expressed disappointment, instead encouraging them to “try your best, that’s all you can do.” He was endlessly proud of his family and kept a note in his phone that listed their titles and employers for bragging purposes.

Gary is survived by his devoted wife, Kathryn (née Zareva) Sauerborn, their daughter Michelle Sauerborn, their daughter Christina Sauerborn and her husband James Di Stefano, his siblings Patrice, Thomas, and Robert Sauerborn, in addition to extended family and loved ones too numerous to name. He is preceded in death by his parents and his beloved cat son, Sir Charles Ellington.

Memorial visitations will be held at Bizub-Quinlan Funeral Home,1313 Van Houten Avenue, Clifton on Friday, April 17 from 4 to 8 pm and on Saturday, April 18 at 10:30am with services immediately to follow at 11:00 am at the funeral home. Donations in Gary’s memory can be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center www.mskcc.org or Tunnel to Towers Foundation www.t2t.org. Please visit www.bizubquinlan.com to leave condolences to the family on the Tribute Wall section of the online obituary.

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