July 1, 1930 - October 25, 2024
Poughkeepsie, New York - George Oscar Saile, 94, died on October 25, 2024 at his summer home in Poughkeepsie, New York. George was born on July 1, 1930 in Cincinnati, Ohio to George and Norma (Weddigen) Saile. George earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1953 while serving in the ROTC. He was the officer in charge of maintaining the Fire Control system for a group of Anti-aircraft Artillery protecting the air space around Washington, D.C., and then he took his team to Okinawa. After returning from Okinawa, George continued to serve in the Army Reserves, retiring as a Captain after 15 years' service.
In the Spring of 1956, George saw Libby at a party "across the crowded room." George and Elizabeth Belle Leonard married on February 16, 1957 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. George graduated from George Washington University Law School with a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in October 1959 and was soon afterward admitted to the Bar of the state of Virginia and Washington, DC. George wanted to work as a Patent Attorney in the growth field of Electronics. He landed a position as a Patent Attorney at Wright Patterson Air Force Base Research and Development Labs in Dayton, Ohio. During his two years there, he was admitted to the Ohio Bar and he wrote and prosecuted 30 to 40 electronic circuit Patent Applications.
George applied and interviewed for a position as a Patent Attorney for International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). After many interviews with executives of the company, George was hired into their Poughkeepsie, New York location in September 1961 as a Chemical/Electronics Patent Attorney. As a patent attorney at IBM, George wrote hundreds of Patent Applications and obtained patents for IBM's major inventors in the Components division. He became senior Patent Attorney, Manager of the Fishkill Patent Department, and Consulting Patent Attorney in the component and IC product fields. During the last 10 years of his IBM career, George was responsible for worldwide growth of IBM patents in the most important technical areas of the component and IC fields.
George's study of countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong made him see an opportunity for forming an International Patent Law Firm. George made contact with former Texas Instruments (TI) Vice-President Morris Chang through mutual friends and they arranged to meet in New York City. After hearing George's presentation, Mr. Chang told him he wanted his top men in three Taiwanese companies to hear the presentation. George flew to Taiwan and gave his presentation, and all agreed that they needed what he had to offer. In August 1989, George retired from IBM. The following year, he started his own Intellectual Property Company: George O. Saile and Associates in his home. The patent work was done by consultants, most of whom were retired patent attorneys or engineers or scientists that George knew from IBM. Family also joined the company, which was renamed Saile Ackerman LLC.
Libby and George traveled to the Far East on business for about 6 years, adding a week or two of vacation time onto their trips. They bought a condominium at Perico Bay Club on Perico Island, Bradenton, Florida in 1994 as their permanent home. When Libby tired of all the travel to the Far East, George continued to travel there and to visit new companies in Europe and California. In June 2015, George retired after 25 years in his second career.
George was an avid tennis player, continuing to play for enjoyment until he was 85. Family was the most important thing to George. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth (Libby) Leonard Saile, children Rosemary (Martin) Pike, Elizabeth (Stephen) Ackerman, and George (Sharon) Saile, grandchildren Melody (Alex) Pancheri, Timon Pike, Yerik Pike, Ariana (Jaden) Davis, Peter (Erika) Ackerman, Geoffrey (Sarah Proper) Ackerman, Kevin (Lindsey) Ackerman, John Ackerman, Katrina Ackerman, and Daniel Saile, and great-granddaughter Riley Belle Ackerman; also nieces Sally (Chris) Jones, Nancy Leonard, and Marguerite Leonard and families. Burial will be at Valleau Cemetery, Ridgewood, New Jersey.