Michael R. Sandler

Michael Robert Sandler, formerly of Weston and Boston, MA, passed away at 80 years old on December 29, 2020, from complications related to Alzheimer’s Disease.

Born in Portland, Maine, on June 6, 1940, Mike was the younger son of Maurice and Dorothy (Alman) Sandler.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Ellen Cooper Sandler, whom he met when they were both studying at the University of Pennsylvania.

He also is survived by his three daughters; Marcy (Jim Janover), Susan (Mike Brennan) and Amy, for whom he named his company “MSA”; his four grandchildren, William and Kate Janover and Jake and Dan Brennan; his older brother Jerry (Kathy), his niece and nephews; and countless people whose lives he touched.

A graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Mike served as a University Trustee and Overseer of its School of Arts and Sciences. He organized his reunion class’s fundraising effort that installed on campus the “Ben [Franklin] on the Bench” statue, which has become a university landmark. Franklin’s famous quotation, “Energy and Persistence Conquer All Things” embodied the way Mike led his life.

Mike was a lifelong entrepreneur who built and sold several businesses, including Marsan Industries (which merged with ITT Corporation), Auto Parts Distributors (which was sold to Rite-Aid Corporation) and Eduventures. A lifetime member of the CEO organization YPO, Mike served in key leadership roles including Chapter Chair, Education Chair and WPO Board member. He also served as a senior fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School, where he conducted research on the intersection of business, government and education.

Considered one of the founding fathers of the education industry, Mike was a founder of A Different September Foundation, an organization that supported the Boston University/Chelsea Public Schools Partnership. He served as executive-in-residence at the University of Southern California, a Visiting Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, President of the Education Industry Foundation, and a Senior Advisor at The Parthenon Group. He also authored the book: Social Entrepreneurship in Education: Private Ventures for the Public Good.

Also known as “Fenway Mike,” he was a champion of all things Boston. From the Public Library to the Public Garden, the Back Bay to Beacon Hill, he left an enduring legacy on the people, places and spaces of his chosen hometown. An avid Boston sports fan, for some 40 years he would have been spotted at Red Sox home games seated in Section 33, and on TV whenever a lefty was at the plate. In honor of his 70th birthday, he threw out the first pitch at his beloved Fenway Park.

Most important, Mike was loved by everyone who knew him: his family, friends, colleagues, the young entrepreneurs he mentored — all those whose lives he touched with his generous spirit, can-do attitude and unique way of making everyone around him feel special. If you needed tickets to a sold-out game, wise advice, a life-changing conversation, or someone to light up a room, Mike was the go-to guy so many went to.

Mike handled his illness with extraordinary grace and optimism. We are grateful to his executive assistant Sherry Campbell for being like family for decades; and for the compassionate support he received from program staff and caregivers who honored his leadership skills and creativity, his love of family and his dignity through the course of his disease.

Due to current health restrictions, private services were held. A celebration of his life will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory to the Penn Fund at the University of Pennsylvania  or the charity of your choice are welcome.