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Dr. Paul L. Sauer of Getzville, NY, a proud Vietnam Army veteran and an esteemed Professor Emeritus of Marketing & Information Systems at Canisius University, passed away at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo on June 28, 2025 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Sauer was born on December 10, 1944 to parents Dorothy Hinkle and Paul Frank Sauer in Columbus, Ohio. He was the oldest of their three sons. From 1962 to 1966, he attended the University of Notre Dame on the first Glenna R. Joyce Scholarship, which covered full tuition, fees, books, personal expenses, and transportation. He was in the ROTC program as a student and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1966. Two years later, he earned his degree from the Ohio State University in 1968.

Dr. Sauer served as a Lieutenant in the Army for two years from 1968 to 1970, including one year as an administrative officer in MEDCAP, the Medical Civic Action Program in Vietnam. The program involved military medical personnel providing medical care and humanitarian aid to Vietnamese civilians. As an officer, he often organized trips to local villages and assisted doctors treating local civilians, especially women and children. He enjoyed his work and recorded some of his experiences on camera. He was discharged with honors and awarded the Bronze Star Medal. It was during that period that he developed a strong passion for helping underprivileged people as well as an appreciation for different cultural perspectives. This was a starting point for his lifelong mission to improve people’s lives in developing countries.

Dr. Sauer went back to the Ohio State University for his in Marketing in 1980 after having worked for the State of Ohio’s Department of Taxation and Office of Budget and Management for close to a decade. Upon receiving his he taught as an associate professor at The State University of New York at Buffalo for five years, and then as a tenured professor at Canisius University for over thirty years until his retirement. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Sauer published numerous research papers in prominent academic journals, earning nearly four thousand citations on Google Scholar. He received many grants, honors and awards for his contributions to Marketing and related areas. He was a member of the American Marketing Association, Beta Gamma Sigma, National Honorary Business Society, and Tau Beta Pi National Honorary Engineering Society.

The most significant accomplishment in Dr. Sauer’s academic teaching career is that he taught the very first group of students in China – a joint venture program between the Dalian University of Technology and the SUNY Buffalo School of Management. Started in 1984, this collaboration was significant as it introduced American-style education to post-cultural revolution China, a milestone celebrated with the announcement by President Ronald Reagan. Dr. Sauer taught two out of the five classes in Dalian, China. He also taught some the most prestigious programs in the country during one of the most critical times in the modern history of China. The programs he taught include the Ohio State University/Fudan University’s MBA and Executive Education in Shanghai in 1993, BiMBA Program, Beijing, China in 2000 and 2001; as well as National Center Marketing Seminar in 1990, SINOPEC (Dalian Petrochemical) Seminar in 1987, Latvia MBA Program, Riga, Latvia in 1994. His students have contributed a great deal to China’s modernization and reform. Among his former students was Li Ping, the Vice President and Executive Director, President of China Telecom (Hong Kong) International Limited, and Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of China Mobile Limited. Dr Sauer was one of the early pioneers who helped to pave the way for further international collaborations in management education in China.

Dr. Sauer was deeply dedicated to his faith and always lived his life with compassion and generosity. What people remember about him the most is not his academic achievements, nor his professional career, but his kindness, his selflessness, and his genuine desire to help others. He paid for a friend’s daughter’s four-year college tuition so she could be the first person in her family to attend college; he sponsored several foreign students for their graduate studies in the and he was always generous with his time. He gave without any expectation of return; he was grateful to be a stepping stone for others’ success. Many say that he was the kindest person they ever met, and that his actions not only touched many people, but also changed their lives.

He loved life. He was an avid rugby player and excellent skier as well as a devoted sports fan of the University of Notre Dame, Ohio State University,, and the Buffalo Bills. He was an adventurous traveler who preferred to experience new places more like a local rather than a tourist. He had an inextinguishable appreciation for the world around him, and no hardship, not even Parkinson’s disease, could ever dim his spirit. Years after his Parkinson’s diagnosis, he continued to ski and threw the first pitch at a Buffalo Bisons’ baseball game. He was very active in PD Dance, boxing, and group speech programs. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.

Dr. Sauer is survived by his beloved wife Theresa (BaiHua) Sauer, daughter Annamaria and son Anthony Sauer, and his brothers James and John Sauer. A visitation will be held Monday July 7th 4:00PM – 7:00PM at Perna, Dengler, Roberts Funeral Home, 1671 Maple Rd, Williamsville, NY 14221 . Family and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Funeral at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, 200 St Gregory Ct. Williamsville, NY 14221 on July 8th 10:30AM.