A native of New York City, Sawyer was born Aug. 27, 1910, the second of six children. The family moved to Fort Wayne, Ind. when Sawyer was a young girl. She later graduated from St. Margaret's, a parochial high school in Waterbury, Conn.

Many years later, when she and her husband, Robert Sawyer, were living in the West Valley area, Sawyer discovered that her former St. Margaret's headmistress, Alberta C. Edell, and her former history and geography teacher, Dorothy Williams, had both retired to Los Gatos.

Sawyer first met her husband in Boston when she was attending Boston School of Accounting. Robert Sawyer was a Stanford University graduate attending Harvard Business School at the time. The Sawyers were married in 1933 in California and made their first home in Stockton. Shortly after, Sawyer opened and ran a kindergarten.

During World War II, the couple lived on Balboa Island while Robert served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. At war's end, Robert retired with the rank of captain, and the couple settled in Los Gatos. They later relocated to Montalvo Road in Saratoga. Robert Sawyer owned and operated Sawyer's China and Gift Shop on Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen for 32 years. After his death in 1979, his wife ran the shop until 1989, when she sold it.

Mary Sawyer was an active member of many organizations, including the San Jose Opera Guild, Montalvo Service Group, Summit League, Saratoga Foothill Club and PEO. She was also a fan of the San Francisco Symphony.

Her love of flowers and her artistic ability led her to make floral arrangements and table settings for many special occasions. She was also a talented artist, especially in oils and acrylic paints. In her spare time, she enjoyed reading and playing bridge.

Survivors include sister Peggy Meek of Fort Wayne, Ind.; brother Harvey Newell of Ann Arbor, Mich.; and seven nieces and nephews.

Memorial services have been held, with interment at Cypress Lawn Cemetery in Colma. Donations can be made to Friends of the Saratoga Library, P.O. Box 2642, Saratoga, 95070, or to a favorite charity.