Dr. Saul A. Frankel died peacefully on Monday evening in his home in Sarasota, Fla. He was 87.

He was born in New York city in 1921. He attended Woodmere Academy and received a bachelor of science degree with high honors from Yale University in 1943, having been elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi honor societies. He graduated from Duke Medical School in 1946, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. After an internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, he served as battalion surgeon with the 7th Infantry Division in Korea. He was certified by the American Board of Neurological surgery in 1955.

Dr. Frankel then joined the faculty of the Yale School of Medicine and authored several scientific papers. In 1961 he entered private neurosurgical practice in New Haven. He was an attending surgeon at the Yale New Haven Hospital and the Hospital of Saint Raphael and remained a member of the clinical faculty of the Yale Medical School until his retirement in 1991.

In retirement, he devoted himself to an earlier interest in building fine ship models, exhibiting in the Mystic Seaport Museum, Christie’s and several other galleries. In 2001 the Mystic Seaport Museum honored him as a marine artist with its International Award of Excellence.

A summer resident of the Vineyard for 45 years, Dr. Frankel was an avid sailor and fisherman.

He is survived by Miriam, his devoted wife of 61 years, daughters Katherine Parker and Barbara Frankel of New York, and son David Frankel and grandsons Samuel and Jonathan Frankel of Seattle.

Dr. Frankel will be interred at the Lambert’s Cove Cemetery on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 11 a.m. Friends and family are welcome to attend the graveside service.

His family may be contacted with recollections of his life and work in his guest book at legacy.com/NYTimes/DeathNotices.asp.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, PO Box 2549, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557 or the American Cancer Society, 1115 W. Chestnut street, Suite 301. Brockton, MA 02401.

Arrangements are under the care of Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs.