Jean Wright Sawyer, a long-time resident of Naperville and Wheaton, passed into the presence of her Lord on September 21, 2020.

Jean was born March 4, 1927, in Louisville, Kentucky to Ernest and Elizabeth Wright, joining her half-sisters, Dorothy and Sara, and her dearly loved brother, Ernie. She attended Longfellow Elementary School and J. M. Atherton High School in Louisville and pursued a B.S. in Secretarial Science at Wheaton College where she was a member of Pi Gamma Mu. After graduating in 1948, Jean and her mother sailed on the Queen Mary to tour post-World War II Europe. Returning to Louisville, Jean worked for Louisville Friends of Israel. In 1952, Jean moved with her mother to Wheaton where Jean served as Assistant Director of the Christian Service Council for Wheaton College. She met her future husband, Myron Sawyer, at College Church, where she taught Sunday School for the high school girls and he taught the high school boys. Jean loved to reminisce how the HYACKs' Backwards Valentine's Day party was their first date, with a proposal quickly following. They wed at College Church on July 27th, 1957. The newlyweds moved to Naperville, where Jean commuted into Chicago to work as a private secretary and Myron to his work with the Burlington Northern Railroad. They raised four children at 619 N. Center Street and were active in the community and at the Naperville Evangelical Free Church (now Compass Church) where Jean served as chair of the Women's Missions Fellowship and Superintendent of Vacation Bible School. In 1981, Jean and Myron returned to College Church, where Jean was a deaconess, a small group leader in Women's Bible Study, and sang in the choir. Jean also served on the Wheaton College Alumni Board and took an active role in OMF International's local prayer group for many years. Jean is remembered for her deep love for the Lord, her glowing smile, her commitment to her family, her beautiful contralto voice, her Southern hospitality, and her delicious homemade desserts.

Jean was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Myron Sawyer, and brother, Ernest Wright.

She is survived by her four children: Blythe (Terry) Merrifield of Setauket, NY; Jeanette (Mark) Faris of Burke, VA; Myron (Donna) Sawyer, Jr. of Holland, MI; and Nancy (Bob) Schraeder of Fullerton, CA; and by eight grandchildren: Ross Faris, Ted (Sarah) Faris, Matthew Schraeder, Joseph Sawyer, Kyle (Brooke) Schraeder, Liz Merrifield, Allison Schraeder, and Sara Sawyer. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Monday, October 5th, at Hultgren Funeral Home , 304 N. Main St., Wheaton. The funeral will be at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 6th, at College Church , 332 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton, followed by interment at Wheaton Cemetery . A livestream of the funeral service will be available to be viewed here: https://boxcast.tv/view/memorial-service-for-jean-sawyer-214034 .

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Jean's honor to OMF International , 10 West Dry Creek Circle, Littleton, CO 80120-4413.

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.