David Lamb Saussy,

David L. Saussy Sr., a former Chatham County Commissioner, died on May 19, 2021 at Memorial Hospital after a brief illness, with his family by his side. He was 86.



Born the youngest of five children to George and Florence Saussy on Dec. 29, 1934 in Columbia, SC, David moved to Savannah in 1964 and lived the next 57 years in Ardsley Park. All who knew David were familiar with his 'Savannah smile,' his proud expression whenever he talked about the area's beauty and??accomplishments, and he served two terms as a Republican County Commissioner in District 1 from 1993 to 2000.



David was a member of The Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle, where he served on the vestry for many years and was a longtime treasurer of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. His other loves included family genealogy, which he researched exhaustively and could trace over centuries; annual reunions in Highlands, NC, the mountain town where he first spent summers as a child and whose trails he continued to hike well into his 80s; and, most of all, his family.



David's many friends and family members considered him one of the most generous people they knew. 'I had some tough times professionally, and David was there,' one long-time friend said. 'With office space and emotional support, he was??always there. He was one of the kindest people around, and a true friend. And one of the most steadfast men I've ever known.'



David almost didn't have the opportunity to touch so many lives. At the age of 5, he nearly died of meningitis but was one of the first people to be successfully treated with a new drug therapy.



David received his bachelor's degree in 1957 from the University of South Carolina, where he majored in geology, and remained a lifelong Gamecocks football fan. He owned Capital Management Systems,??a retirement and insurance products company, for 27 years. He was on the boards of the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless and the Coastal Center for Developmental Services, was a founding member of the St. David's Society of Savannah, and was a member of the St.??Andrew's??Society of Savannah, the Coastal Scottish Heritage Society, ??L'Alliance Fran??aise de Savannah, Sons of the Revolution, and Georgia Society of Colonial Wars.David leaves behind his wife, Kay of 64 years; his sons David Saussy Jr. of Weston, CT, and Hampton??Saussy of Columbia; daughter Alison Eisenstadt of Raleigh; daughter-in-law Casey Saussy; son-in-law Steve Eisenstadt; four grandchildren, David, Mary Beth, Lianne and Caroline; and his beloved dog Beanie, as well as many other family and friends.



A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated on May 25 at 2 p.m. at the Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 1802 Abercorn St. The Very Rev. Dr. William Willoughby III will preside.