The Barancik Foundation family mourns the passing of former Foundation board member Gerry Lublin.
Gerry and his wife, Sheri, first met fellow Longboat Key residents Chuck and Margie Barancik playing bridge. The couples became fast friends, and in 2017 Gerry was elected to our Board of Directors. He served in that role until 2023, when he and Sheri relocated full-time to North Carolina. Gerry continued to meaningfully serve the Foundation on our Grants & Initiatives Committee and the review committee for our TIME Fellowship program.
Gerry was an accomplished attorney, a mentor, a coach, and a tutor. His impact in the Sarasota community was deep, and he will be missed by many. Our hearts are with Sheri and their family at this time.
Memorial Donations to Support the Community News Collaborative
Gerry knew that a strong press is critical to our democracy, and he wanted support for local journalism to be part of his legacy. At Sheri’s request, donations in memory of Gerry may be made to benefit the Community News Collaborative, an initiative of Barancik Foundation, through the Community News Collaborative Fund held at Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
The Community News Collaborative is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news operation dedicated to finding, investigating, and reporting high-impact stories that affect the well-being of our community. Its local team of reporters provide critical news content to a dozen area media organizations, helping to fill the gap in community news coverage as many newsroom staffs have shrunk.
To make a credit card donation online to the Community News Collaborative Fund, click here. Checks can be made payable to Gulf Coast Community Foundation, with “in memory of Gerry Lublin” in the memo line, and mailed to 601 Tamiami Trail South, Venice, FL 34285.
