Frank Philip Handy

FRANK PHILIP HANDY - of Orlando, FL passed away peacefully on March 7, 2024 with his wife and three children by his side. Born in Bronxville, NY on April 29, 1944 to Elizabeth Florence Miller and Francis Louis Handy. Phil has been a resident and active community member in Winter Park and Orlando for the last 47 years. He is survived by his three children from his first marriage, Kate Handy Lesher, Philip Breckinridge (“Breck”) Handy, and Abigail Handy Piron, and his first wife Gail Thornton and second wife Barbara Clements Heller and her children, Jennifer Heller Monness, P.C. Heller, Samantha Heller, Alexander Heller, Max Heller, Zachary Heller, Natalie Heller Olsson and her grandchildren. Phil is also survived by his grandchildren who lovingly called him Gump: Eliza, Abigail and Jackson Lesher, Ella and Reid Piron, and Hailey, Avery and Casey Handy. A special thanks to Greiven Briceno who was also deeply touched by the love of Phil.

Phil’s Education:

Phil attended Northfield Mount Hermon Class of 1963, did a post graduate year at The Rugby School in England, Class of 1964, attended Princeton University, graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in 1968 where he was a member of the men’s lacrosse and rugby teams and was a member of the Cap & Gown Eating Club. He also earned an MBA from Harvard University in 1970. Phil also served in the active military in the US Army and then served six years in the US Army Reserve.

Phil’s Professional & Business Life:

While going to Harvard Business School, Phil took his first role as a securities analyst at Fidelity Management and Research from 1968 - 1970. He then moved on from Fidelity to work in New York City for an investment banking firm, Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) from 1970 - 1976. At 30, Phil met Ohio financier Marvin Warner and Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Hugh Culverhouse, who decided to hire him as President of ComBanks Corp. of Winter Park.

Harold Mertz, the founder of Publishers Clearinghouse, became one of Phil’s early mentors. Mertz invested millions in real estate, and Phil represented him as a director of an Atlanta-based real estate trust, Great American Management and Investment Inc. Great American was acquired in the early 1980s by Chicago investor Sam Zell. Zell and Phil became fast and close friends and collaborated on a variety of investments. They invested in several companies, including Marine Savings and Loan of Naples, Firststate Financial of Orlando, and Freedom Savings and Loan. From 1996 - 1999, Phil also served as Managing Director of Equity Group Corporate Investments, which was the private investment firm controlled by Zell.

Phil owned and operated many businesses as an entrepreneur, including Maryland Club Foods, Majik Markets, World Bazaar, Atco Products, Equality Specialties, and the Longboat Observer. Once Phil sold these companies, he moved on to help the Zell organization in many investments, serving as the CEO and Chairman of two public companies, Chart House Restaurant Group and Rewards Networks. Phil was also a long-standing board member of two successful public companies, Anixter and Owens Corning.

Phil was tapped to oversee Strategic Industries, which owned several manufacturing companies in the business of automotive and building products. Phil spent the last ten years of his business career restructuring Strategic

Industries to position them to sell. Eventually, he oversaw their successful sale.

A Passion for Politics:

Phil had a passion and interest in politics by serving as the state chairman of Jeb Bush’s gubernatorial campaigns in Florida in 1993-94 and 1997-98; and as co-chairman of Jeb Bush’s 2002 gubernatorial campaign. In 1991 and 1992, he was chairman of Limited Political Terms, a political committee, which led the most successful petition drive in Florida’s history that was called “Eight is Enough”. Handy chaired nine Florida statewide political races.

He also was an instrumental advisor and senior leader in the campaigns of several US presidential candidates including Lamar Alexander, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney and John McCain.

A Passion for Education and Volunteering/Charitable Involvement:

Phil had a great passion for education and was intimately involved in many volunteer/charitable endeavors and roles over his life. Phil served for six years until 1997 as chairman of the Florida State Board of Education. Phil had been appointed twice by President George W. Bush to the National Board of Education Sciences (confirmed by the U.S. Senate), where he has served as Vice Chairman. Continuing with the education theme, Phil was a member of the Board of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and an advisor to the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. When he was co-chairing Senator John McCain’s Florida Presidential Campaign, he served as chairman of Senator McCain’s National Policy Council on Education.

As it relates to community and volunteer/charitable endeavors, Phil served as a Trustee of the Northfield Mount Hermon School (his alma mater), where he has served as Treasurer and as a member of the executive committee. He was a member of the Board of Overseers of Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business. He was a member and the president for three years of the Board of Trustees of the Orlando Museum of Art. He was a member of the Chief Executives Organization and was a member of the World Presidents’ Organization. He was also a member of the Florida Governor’s Council of 100 for almost a decade.

Phil also was on the board of United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Florida as a tribute to his granddaughter.

A Passion for Life:

Phil will be remembered for more than words can express but to name a few: insightful conversations, thoughtful letters, always being there for everyone around him, being a dad and grandad, making birthdays special, German chocolate cake, sunsets, walks on the beach, good wine, a good cold beer after a bike ride, mountain biking in Sun Valley, running marathons, being around friends, music, love of travel, commitment to education, his unlimited generosity to others, his contagious energy and bright smile, as loyal as they come. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother, son and friend to many.

Phil touched people’s lives all over the world. He leaves a legacy to “Take the time, savor the time and live life to the fullest.”

A memorial service will be held in Orlando on May 18th. In lieu of flowers, please donate to United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Florida in his name.