William Blevins Sayer

William Blevins Sayer, (Bill) was born August 17, 1929, and passed away peacefully at his home in Del Mar, California on April 3, 2022, with his wife Shirley and niece Robin by his side. Bill graduated from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology as well as the U.S. Naval postgraduate school in Monterey California. Bill spent his entire working career furthering the best interests of the United States, after active duty in the Navy Bill went on to work for Atomic International and the U.S. Department of Energy, Bill was integral part of the space program, working with the team that developed the nuclear fuel rod that powered the Apollo Lunar Lander and the Lunar Rover. Bill loved and was intrigued by his work - so much so that his first attempt at retirement only lasted six months. Because of his career, Bill and his first wife (and high school sweetheart) Florence Sayer lived in some interesting places with their four sons (William, David, Mitchell, and Michael) and their numerous pets. Over the years, they resided in Yokosuka, Japan; Los Alamos, New Mexico and Simi Valley California before finally settling in Albuquerque NM. Later in life, Bill married Shirley Speck and together they loved to travel aboard.

Bill was enviably intelligent, but never aloof, and made anyone he shared a conversation with feel important, especially his grandchildren. He loved a long and thorough story and never skimped on any of the details, which went hand in hand with his love for genealogy. Bill traced the entire Sayer family tree back to a hedge knight in ancient England and, in doing so, discovered that the Sayers had fought in the Revolutionary War. Bill was also a proud member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, William and Margaret, his brother, John, and his son, Michael. He is survived by his sister Joayne Pignato and her husband, Sam, of Phoenix, AZ; sister, Sally Viramontes and her husband, Frank, of Tucson, AZ; his wife, Shirley Sayer of Del Mar, CA; his first wife, Florence Sayer of Albuquerque, NM; his children: William (Bill) Sayer and his wife, Ann, of Montrose, CO; David Sayer of Moriarty NM; and Mitchell Sayer and his wife Pam of Albuquerque, NM; his grandchildren: Brittany and Amanda Sayer of Albuquerque, NM; Shelby Sayer of Denver, CO; and Tracy Sayer of Estancia, NM. Numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family respectfully requests that donations be made in Bill’s honor either to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) or the U.S. Olympic Foundation, both organizations to which Bill donated himself. A memorial service will be held for Bill on May 14, 2022, at the Village Community Presbyterian Church, located at 6225 Paseo Deliciac, Rancho Santa Fe, California 92067