Gregory Berthold Sawyer

1971 - 2025

Gregory Berthold Sawyer
Gregory Berthold Sawyer passed away in his home on January 21, 2025, at the age of 53 years from sudden heart failure. Although a longtime resident of Hamden, Connecticut, he was born on July 8, 1971, in Princeton, New Jersey. He was the second son of Willits Herbert Sawyer III and the late Margaret Jane Berthold.
Greg was a graduate of The Foote School, Hamden Hall Country Day School, and a postgraduate of Phillips Exeter Academy. He played football, wrestled, and excelled in chess while pursuing an academic concentration in American studies, drama, and film at Wesleyan University. While in attendance there, Greg was elected Vice President of Beta Theta Pi and served in the U.S. Marine Corps PLC program.
After working as a docent at the Connecticut Historical Society, he attained his teaching certificate at Southern Connecticut State University. The pursuit of education was a constant focus in Greg's life as either a student, a teacher, or as a coach. His career in education included teaching world history, core humanities, social studies, language arts, mathematics, and chess. He was also an athletic coach for wrestling, basketball, and football. As an experienced wilderness explorer and Outward Bound graduate, he ran Hamden Hall's popular Outdoor Adventure program for over ten years.
He took pride in his extensive collections of classic and vintage comic books, action figures, antique toys, and vinyl records. He loved to entertain friends and family. He enjoyed the sharing of knowledge, telling elaborate stories and recounting historical events to all. As a voracious board gamer and chess player, receiving high rankings in chess competitions, he was always up for a game.
Greg was a descendent of the Mayflower and a Life Member of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, the Wyckoff Association, and The Society of Lees of Virginia.
He is survived by his father, Willits Herbert Sawyer III; his brother Edward Case Sawyer II; his nephew, Benjamin Prescott Sawyer; his niece, Lillian Grace Sawyer; his uncle, Charles E. W. Berthold; his cousins, Debra Smith, Mark Giblin, Michael Giblin, and Jack Sawyer; and his beloved dog, Buster Brown. His mother, Margaret "Peggy" Jane Berthold, predeceased him in 2023.
There will be funeral service at Trinity on the Green in New Haven, CT on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to his beloved alma mater Hamden Hall, www.hamdenhall.org. You may contact the family through the Sisk Brothers Funeral Home, www.siskbrothers.com.