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Richard Elvin Sawyer (1929 - 2009)
Dad was born Richard Elvin Sawyer on January 9, 1929, to Edgar Edwin and Esther Lois (Wells) Sawyer at Salem, Marion County, Oregon. Dad had two younger brothers: Gordon and Van. I was told that Gordon lost part of his finger because he and Dad were playing with a hammer and an aspirin tin. He attended 1st through 8th Grade at Keizer Grade School and Sunday School at the Keizer Grange Hall. He met Mom in the church youth group and would walk her home as she lived about a mile away from him. Dad married Mom on September 10, 1947. When I was about two years old, Dad found out he had diabetes. I remember that sometimes he would act strangely, and he always carried lemon drops with him to provide a quick source of sugar when needed. Dad built a model circus. He created moving details, like the seal that balanced a ball on its nose. It was molded out of rubber and had a wire inserted that was used to provide the motion of the neck and nose. He named a giraffe, Patty, after Mom. There was a railroad car and even a tent. I learned to make things out of balsa wood from him. Dad had to have everything just right when he packed for vacation. I inherited that from him. Dad would go fishing, just for fun, throwing the catch back. Dad took me fishing once at Claggett Creek near Keizer. And we regularly watched "Wrasslin'" on TV. Dad taught me to drive our car, a stick shift, on our 300' street. Dad and Mom lived in the Salem-Keizer area all but one year of their marriage. Dad worked for Elmo McMillan at McMillan's restaurant overhanging Mill Creek on State Street in Salem. Mr. McMillan gave my parents a gift of $100 at my birth with which they bought my crib and other things. Dad also worked as an assistant sign painter and as a Psychiatric Aide at the Fariview Home for the Mentally Retarded in Salem where he worked for about 15 years. He was offered a custodial job with Albany First Baptist Church and Albany Private School (in the same building). He worked there for a year before moving back to Salem to work for Salem Private School in the Media Center. There he prepared copies and teaching materials for the teachers and served little cans of Campbell's soup to the sudents who ordered a "hot lunch". This was his favorite job of all because the kids called him the "Soup Man" and he knew he was working for the Lord (although he did this as well in other jobs). He would often work overtime, which he didn't mind, and then would head home, as they lived just across the street. When Salem Private School closed, Dad went to work for a while as Custodian for Salem Evangelical Church until it was necessary for him to retire due to disabilities resulting from his many years as a diabetic. After he retired, he had a 3-wheel scooter he rode all over Keizer passing out information about Keizer Reading Connection (a small volunteer run library) for which he and Mom volunteered. He enjoyed visiting with people he met and inviting them to the library. He also liked going to garage sales (another excuse to meet new people and chat). He was known as the "Scooter Man" around Keizer or "the guy on the scooter with the orange flag". He always asked everyone where they lived and that is something he would remember much longer than their name. [directly from John's eulogy] Richard lived through 55 of his 80 years with diabetes and many surgeries related to it; he was hit by a car while crossing River Rd. on his scooter just feet from his home, his heart stopped one time while in the hospital and was unconscious for a period of time in ICU, but through it all his faith in his God never wavered. he was always a living example of his faith to his children and others around him. he would have given the shirt off his back to help someone in need, even though it would be a fight to convince him to get something for himself. Even as he went through the different stages of his body shutting down the last few weeks of his life here on earth, he still held on to the hope that he would join God his Father in heaven. More than once he seemed to be on death's door and was more than once heard to say, "I'm ready to go home." Each time he was ready, but God more than once said, "Not yet, I still have plans for you." This time was different, it was finally his turn. As of 11:30 pm, August 26, 2009 ... He is home with his mother, father, and two brothers who left this world before him. What a happy, long awaited reunion!
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