The club’s recent Members’ Recital was dedicated to the memory of former director and major benefactor Clifford L. Saby, who passed away on January 18, 2008. A successful businessman, he first became interested in the Naples Music Club when he heard a performance by the club’s student award winners in 1995. Three years later, he established the Clifford L. Saby Music Scholarship Fund, which has positively influenced the lives of hundreds of children in grades 6-12 since then.

Mr. Saby was a native of North Dakota and retired businessman from New Jersey. He was a clarinetist in his youth and lover of fine music all his life. With gifts of over $65,000 to Collier County youth through the Scholarship Fund, he wanted to help make it possible for others to develop their musical performance talents and enjoy music as he had.

Mr. Saby was a member of the Board of Directors from 2001 to 2007, serving as Development Chair for part of that time. In that role, he often expressed the hope that others would follow his philanthropic example.