Alan Leigh Sawyer

January 1, 1928 - June 30, 2012

Alan L. Sawyer, 84, of Sequim passed away on June 30, 2012, at his home with his beloved wife at his side.

Alan was born on January 1, 1928, in Long Beach, California. He won the baby derby, being the first baby born in Long Beach that year. Alan grew up in San Pedro, California.

After graduating from high school, Alan went on to attend UCLA. While there, he played basketball for coach John Wooden and went on to play for two years in the NBA with the Washington Capitals.

Alan served in the U.S. Air Force from 1946-1947. After completing his service, he went on to teach at Whittier High School in Whittier, California. From there, he taught mathematics and coached basketball at Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, California.

During a sabbatical, Alan taught math and coached basketball at Canadian Academy, a school for missionary children in Kobe, Japan, from 1965-1967. He returned to OCC, completing 45 years of teaching and retiring in 1996.

After retirement, he and his wife, Diane, moved to Sequim, where he lived the remaining years of his life.

Alan had many talents and interests: gardening, stamp collecting, reading, racquetball, tennis, basketball, golf, hiking, fishing and singing in the church choir.

Alan is survived by his beloved wife, Diane; a daughter, Louise, her husband, Brian, and their daughter, Krista, all of Irvine, California; and sister-in-law Ruth Sawyer and her two daughters, Lorraine and Eileen, all of Ohio.

Alan will be deeply missed by all of us close to him.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2012, at Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church, 925 North Sequim Avenue, Sequim, at 2 p.m. All close to Alan are invited to attend.

Memorial contributions may be made to Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County, 540 East Eighth Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362; or to Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 1916, Sequim, WA 98382.