Mack Sawyer, of Virginia Beach, passed away peacefully surrounded by his daughters on June 24, 2024. He was 82 years old. Mack was born and raised in Norfolk. His parents were Osie McCoy Sawyer, Sr. and Lydia Shipley Sawyer. His formative years were spent growing up in the Berkley section of the city. It was during this time that he obtained the rank of Eagle Scout in old Berkley Troop 14.
Mack graduated, with Honors, from Maury High School in 1960. He was a member of the National Honor Society. He was a Past Master Councilor of Norview DeMolay and a fifty year member of Norview Masonic Lodge #113. He was awarded an Associate of Arts Degree from Old Dominion College in 1963 and he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1965. While at Virginia Tech, he was a member of the Eta Kappa Nu Engineering Honor Society and the Lambda Chi Alpha Social Fraternity.
Mack was predeceased by his parents, his fantastic wife of 47 years Cheryl Tise Sawyer, and his sister Jeannie Briggs. He is survived by his two daughters and their husbands, Kristine and David Stanley, Sydney and Dean Workman, and four grandchildren Payton, Andrew, Matthew, and Curran.
Mack’s work career was both exciting and varied. His first job was at the Manned Spacecraft Center at Langley Field followed by stints at Combat Systems at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Naval Electronics Portsmouth, and NavSea Dam Neck. He was also the Chief Engineer at the Naval Electronic Engineering Office in London, England for four years. While in the United Kingdom, he was accepted for membership in the Royal Institute of Great Britain. He was also a member of the Navy/Marine Corps Road Runners. It was with this group that he traveled the world to complete seven marathons that included the Greek Marathon and the first London Marathon.
During his life, Mack was active in various clubs and organizations. In his earlier years, he served as the President of the Virginia Beach Jaycees. He also participated in Toastmasters where he won two Virginia state level speech contests. In his later years, he sang with the Beach Tones and he served as their President for four years. He also volunteered as a docent for ten years at the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo (Virginia Beach).
Mack had a zest for life. He enjoyed learning and trying new things. His passions were history, travel, music, reading, and football. He was a true “Renaissance Man” and he will be remembered for his motto “Be really alive everyday that you live.”
A visitation for Mack will be held Saturday, June 29, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Rosewood-Kellum Funeral Home, 601 N Witchduck Rd, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462. A Celebration of Life service will occur Sunday, June 30, 2024 at 3:00 PM at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 233 Mann Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23322.
