Obituary for Orvil Edward Sawyer On August 31, 2018, Orvil Edward Sawyer, loving husband and father, passed away in Waggaman, LA at the age of 85, after a long battle against both cancer and Alzheimer’s dementia. Ed (“Eddie” to his family) was born on July 8, 1933 to Orvil Ceon and Marguerite (Hile) Sawyer of Glencoe, Oklahoma. He grew up in Glencoe, where he developed his devotion to family and the two other great passions of his life—an intense curiosity about the sciences and history of the earth, and a great love for playing and watching sports.
Roaming the red-clay countryside of his childhood, Ed collected Native American arrowheads and spear points. The limestone hills showed him trilobite fossils and the evolution of the Arbuckle Mountains. His interest in the land led him to the University of Oklahoma and a successful four-decade career at Exxon as an outstanding exploration geologist, award-winning lecturer and teacher, and valued mentor to a generation of engineers and geologists in Lafayette and New Orleans.
Oklahoma also spurred Ed’s dedication to sports. He played high school basketball, intramural baseball and basketball in college, and coached Little League as a young man. He discovered golf and played every week for the next 40 years.
Throughout his life, he was a passionate sports fan, keeping baseball stats for the St Louis Cardinals in his youth, fanatically following OU football in mid-life, and cheering on the Saints and the Pelicans every season after he moved to New Orleans. Always seeking deeper answers, Ed taught Sunday School for years at First Methodist in Slidell. He studied astronomy and archaeology for fun, and his family all remember trips to places where he photographed rock formations, sifted through ruins, or lay on old quilts watching the Perseid meteor showers.
Perhaps his favorite trip was a tour in Greece, where all his interests in science and religion intersected. After retirement in Slidell, Ed volunteered for North Shore Hospital, where he and Loretta earned awards for their service. After moving to the West Bank, Ed worked as a Walmart greeter in Luling, where he was a favorite with both store staff and shoppers.
He adored his dogs and is much missed now by Doodles and Buddy. He ate gallons of popcorn, worked thousands of crossword and Sudoko puzzles, and enjoyed gardening and landscaping at the house he loved in Waggaman. Ed was preceded in death by his mother Marguerite, his father Orvil and stepmother Mary, and his wife of 37 years, Dru Grant of Dallas.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 24 years, Loretta Bender, his sister Lynne Campbell (Dennis), his two daughters, Cindy Beyer (Damon) and Pam Ryan (Bill), granddaughter Anna Beyer and grandsons Drew Beyer and Will Ryan; two stepsons, Ernest Carver (Susan) and Charles Carver (Raquel), stepdaughter Mary Dolese (Shannon), granddaughters Amanda Wagner (Mike) and Courtney Pertuit (Zach), grandsons Shannon Dolese II (Michelle), Dustin Carver (Samantha), Ross Carver, Jonathan Dolese (Crystal), Cory Carver, Blaise Pertuit, Christopher Fontaine (Monica) and great-grandchildren Victoria Dolese, Isabel and Gabby Jackson, Alayah and Ethan Pertuit, Gianna Carver and Isabel and Ava Fontaine. He is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, his dear friends Bob and Kathy Blankenship and neighbors Gus and Casey, on whom he relied. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Memorial celebration of Ed’s life on Saturday, September 15, 2018 at Mothe Funeral Home, 7040 Lapalco Blvd.
, Marrero, LA 70072. Visitation will be from 9 am to 11am, with a memorial service at 11am in the chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to Heart of Hospice, 1700 Belle Chasse Hwy #230, Gretna, LA 70056.
The family offers deep gratitude to Heart of Hospice for loving and compassionate care in Ed’s final days. Family and friends may view and sign the online guest book at www. mothefunerals.com.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Orvil Edward Sawyer please visit our Sympathy Store. Upcoming Events Memorial Visitation , SEP 15. 09:00 AM – 11:00 AM Mothe Funeral Home Marrero 7040 Lapalco Blvd.
Marrero, LA, US, 70072 info@mothefunerals.com www. mothefunerals.com Order Flowers for the Memorial Visitation Guaranteed delivery before Orvil’s Memorial Visitation begins. Memorial Service , SEP 15.
11:00 AM Mothe Funeral Home Marrero 7040 Lapalco Blvd. Marrero, LA, US, 70072 info@mothefunerals.com www. mothefunerals.com Order Flowers for the Memorial Service Guaranteed delivery before Orvil’s Memorial Service begins.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
