Remembering Reggie Sage
January 18, 1945 to November 30, 2022
77 years
After retiring from the U.S. Army in 1982, Reggie and his wife Heide started a lawn care business. An illness of Spinal Meningitis forced Reggie to give up his business after only a few years. Following his recovery, Reggie went to work at the old Ford Plantation now known as Sterling Bluff. While there, he was promoted to Landscaping Supervisor and received his certification through the University of Georgia for Turf and Ornamental Pest Control.
In the summer of 1995, the Mary Lou Fraser Community Support Foundation asked Reggie if he would be interested in landscaping the YMCA and the Fraser Counseling Center grounds. Reggie became a private contractor and proceeded with the irrigation and landscaping project. In February 1996, he became an employee of the Mary Lou Fraser Community Support Foundation as Landscape Caretaker. He has maintained the grounds of both the YMCA and the Fraser Center for 24 years with the help of 2 high school students in the summer and one part time helper in the winter.
Around the year 2000, with the assistance of Larry Golden and the donation of material, equipment and labor of Dennis Waters Construction, Reggie began developing the YMCA soccer fields and with the help of Johnnie Rollison created and designed a children’s park between the fields.
In 2017, Reggie installed the first ever YMCA/Fraser Center Christmas Lights display for the community to enjoy. The light display was expanded over the following two years.
In 2018, Reggie received a $10,000 donation to install a fence around the park. This is a project Reggie has worked on for years to make the park a safer environment for the children. In the month of April in 2018 the Children’s Park was named after Reggie Sage in honor of all the labor and love he has invested as the YMCA and Fraser Center Grounds Landscaper and Caretaker.
Reggie’s last project was the construction of a 32 foot Labyrinth Memorial to honor the memory of Gwynn Fraser McGregor, the daughter of Dr. Whitman and Mary Lou Fraser. Reggie’s vision since the day he came to work for the Community Support Foundation, was to help fulfill Dr. Fraser’s dream of keeping the families of Liberty County and Ft. Stewart together as a loving family unit. Reggie’s desire was to create a space where parents can come here with their children to get away from the electronic world that surrounds our children today and let them enjoy the fresh outdoors, the trees, grass, birds and especially the happiness of being a family.
Reggie was a firm believer of John F. Kennedy's historic words, " Ask not what your country can do for you - but what you can do for your country." He instilled this belief in his children, grandchildren and great grands. Not one to sit idle or one to rely on others, Reggie, in addition to his work for the Fraser Foundation, served his community in several roles from joining Sertoma, serving as president, supporting the local Vietnam Veterans Organizations, donating his time at St. Stephens Catholic Church, assisting with the creation of the Meditation Garden at St. Stephens Catholic Church, and being the grill master for many events.