Former Miami Beach Mayor Seymour Gelber Dies At 99 Years Old
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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – Former Miami Beach Mayor Seymour Gelber has died.
He had been in hospice care and was with all of his children, including current Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, when he passed late Thursday afternoon.
Seymour Gelber was 99 years old.
Current Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told CBS4 after his father's passing that he was "happy to the end."
Seymour, or Sy as many knew him as, served three terms in the mayor's office.
That came after his service to the nation as an army sergeant and a long career as a judge in the Miami-Dade court system.
"My dad served in world war two," said Dan. "He believed the war changed his life. He had no direction till he went to war. I think he felt so much about our country, he truly spent his entire life in public service."
Sy made a mark in South Florida, first as a juvenile judge before eventually becoming mayor. He ended up revamping the county's juvenile court system.
"My father did very important things and serious things, but absolutely never took himself seriously," said Dan. "He always tried to find the lighter side of things."
In November of 2017, Sy swore in Dan as the new Mayor of Miami Beach.
"To have him to swear me in was a stunning thing for me and for him," said Dan. "It was an emotional moment and also a fun moment."
