Obituary of Horace A Sawyer

Horace Adali (“Tom”) Sawyer, Jr., a summer resident of Duxbury, MA, since 1953 and a year round resident since 2007, died peacefully February 8, 2019 at the age of 93. Born September 26, 1925, in Abilene, TX, he was the son of the late Horace Adali Sawyer, Sr. and Mary Jessie Shiels Sawyer from Texas and New Orleans. He grew up in New Orleans, attended the Isidore Newman School, Tulane University, and graduated from the Sloan School of Management at MIT in 1949.

          Tom entered the armed services in 1944, during World War II, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Corp of Engineers.  He spent 1947 surveying for oil in Point Barrow, Alaska. In 1953 he met Sarah (Sally) Joy Danner of Newton and Duxbury while spring skiing on Mt. Washington. They were married for 65 years.

          Tom worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at MIT as an assistant to Robert Seamans helping to design rockets. He was associated with the mining company AMAX, Inc. and its predecessor company, Climax Molybdenum, for 31 years holding various positions from budget officer, division president, through senior vice president finance and administration. AMAX later merged into Freeport McMoran. He was a director of Canada Tungsten Mining Company as well as the Aetna Fund. He was also a director of BCL, a copper and nickel mining company in Botswana, Africa. He made several visits to southern Africa as a director of Roan Selection Trust.

          Prior to moving to Duxbury, MA,Tom lived in Greenwich, CT and was active in community affairs.  In Greenwich he headed theTax Counseling for the Elderly program of the AARP, and was Treasurer of Call-A Ride. He was also a board member of Greenwich Red Cross, the Greenwich YMCA, and Greenwich United Way.

          Tom was an enthusiastic sailor, golfer, and tennis player. At the Riverside Yacht Club, where he was a lifetime member, he was awarded the Trenary Trophy for significant contributions to the Club, including serving twice on the board of directors, starting the Flying Scot fleet in the 1960’s and starting the annual week long “Distance Cruise” for cruising boats in the 1980’s. Tom and Sally sailed their Ericson 38 from the Chesapeake Bay to the northern coast of Maine before GPS. He was also a member of the Greenwich Retired Men’s Association, First Congregational Church of Greenwich, and the Duxbury Yacht Club.    

          He is survived by three sons and one daughter: Paul D. Sawyer of Duxbury, MA, James S. Sawyer of Riverside, CT,  David C. Sawyer of Boulder, CO, and Susan Sawyer Mathias and her husband Robert Mathias of Stuart, FL.  He is also survived by five grandchildren: Christine Mathias, Joan Cassie Mathias, Abigail, Will and Dylan Sawyer and many nieces and nephews.  A Celebration of his Life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 16, 2019 at First Parish Church, Duxbury. Donations in his memory may be made to Cranberry Hospice, 36 Cordage Park Circle, Suite 326, Plymouth, MA 02360.