Roll Call Tribute

Obituary sent by grandchild

Donald Gregg Sawyer ‘50
Residence: Bogota, Colombia
Hometown: Coleman, Texas
April 9, 1927 – January 3, 2017

At A&M: B.S. in Petroleum Engineering; Activities: ROTC, Heart of Texas Club, Petroleum Club, Officers Reserve; Sul Ross Research Club; Distinguished Student; Varsity Football; Intramurals

World War II Record:
• Branch of Service: U.S. Navy
• Date of entry and rank: March 20, 1945, Apprentice Seaman. Date of release and rank: June 17, 1946, Seaman, 2nd Class
• Principal duties and months each performed: Naval air crewman boot training and Naval officer training, Stanford University

Donald G. Sawyer was born to Langdon and Maurice Sawyer in Coleman, Texas, on April 9, 1927. His memories of his childhood and his family in West Texas were marked by such happiness and fondness – calling to mind to simpler days where time with family and adventures with your canine companion in the great outdoors meant more than any material possessions. He attended Allen Academy in Bryan, Texas, from 1942-1944.

At Texas A&M, Sawyer studied petroleum engineering, was named a Distinguished Student, and was very active on campus, participating in ROTC, Heart of Texas Club, Petroleum Club, Officers Reserve, Sul Ross Research Club, Varsity Football, and Intramurals. In 1945 he entered the U.S. Navy as an Apprentice Seaman and participated in Naval officer training at Stanford University. Upon graduating from A&M with a B.S. in petroleum engineering, Sawyer was hired by Texaco, Inc., and moved in December 1950 to Colombia to work in drilling and production operations. It was in Colombia that he met his wife, Stella Galindo, to whom he was married for more than 6 decades, and spent most of his career. Don also worked in Venezuela, Ecuador, and Texaco's Coral Gables, Florida LAWA/ Latin America West Africa offices. He retired as a Managing Director & Sr. Vice President in 1989. Sawyer was a devoted Christian, family man, lover of horses and adventure, and despite making his home in South America for 67 years, fiercely Texan. Even in his final days, if asked where he was from, he would say: “El Gran Estado de Texas.” His affinity for Texas A&M ran deep, and in 2010, he was delighted to go to his first Aggie football game in more than 50 years, with his granddaughter’s husband, Matt Sandlin ’01, to see Nebraska play the Ags at Kyle Field.

In his own words, he once wrote about the “most important lessons in life” for a grandchild’s school project:

“Thanks to the Lord I have been happy all my life. Perhaps the happiest times have been when I have been able to help someone along the way with some of their problems. The most important lesson that I have learned is to follow the teachings of Jesus. A few of these are to do unto others as you would have them do to you, love thy neighbor as thyself, honor thy father and thy mother, be forgiving, be charitable, love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Another thing is to see others as Jesus would see them.”

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Stella; 4 children, Donna S. Ferguson, William G. Sawyer, Susan Sawyer, and Patricia G. Sawyer; 9 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandson.