Joseph A.. Sawyer, Jr.'s Obituary
Joseph Alvin Sawyer, Jr., the son of Joseph Alvin Sr. and A. Omega Sawyer, was born on April 17, 1953, at Reid Memorial Hospital in Richmond, Indiana. He was the second oldest of three children. Joe was raised in Liberty, Indiana, where he received his early education. He graduated from Short High School in 1971. He attended GMI/Kettering University, in Flint, Michigan, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1977. In 1983, Joe earned his J.D. at Seton Hall University, receiving the University’s coveted Fahy Award for scholarship, leadership and service contributions to the law school community. On August 25, 1984, Joe and Sherri Hayes were united in Holy Matrimony in Stamford, Connecticut. As husband and wife and best friends, they shared over thirty-one years of marriage. Joe was the Managing Partner of Sawyer Law Group, a PC, an Intellectual Property law firm, located in Palo Alto, California. Joe began his patent work over a decade in working as in-house patent counsel. He joined a Los Angeles-based law firm to open a Bay Area office in 1992. In 1993, Joe opened a law practice in Palo Alto under the name of Benman, Collins & Sawyer. In 1996 the firm became Sawyer and Associates, having offices in Palo Alto and Hawaii. In 2002, the firm changed its name to Sawyer Law Group. Joe was also President of the Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association (SVIPLA) from 2000-2001. He was a member of the Board of Directors Episcopal Community Services – San Francisco. Joe was a long-suffering Cleveland Brown’s fan in honor of his Dad and Jim Brown. Joe is preceded in death by his father Joseph Alvin Sawyer, Sr. He is survived by his beloved wife Sherri; mother A. Omega Sawyer; sister Jo Anne and brother-in-law, Gregory Knoll; brother Russel; nephews Jamaal and Alex; nieces Natausha and Naima; mother-in-law and father-in-law Deloris and Hallie Bryant; sister-in-law Kathy Hayes and many other family members and friends. Joe departed this earthly life on Monday, February 8, 2016, in San Carlos, California, at the age of sixty-two years. He will be missed by all. Memorial services will be held for Joe at Skylawn Funeral Home, 100 Lifemark Rd, San Mateo, CA 94062, on February 27, 2016 at 12:00 pm and at the First Missionary Baptist Church, 414 Eaton St., Liberty, IN, on April 9, 2016 at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to the Foundation House, c/o Pastor Timothy Hawkins, 1520 8th Ave., Oakland, CA 94606 or to the Joseph A. Sawyer, Sr. and Alpha “Omega” Sawyer Memorial Fund, 404 Eaton Street, Liberty, IN 47353.
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