John Leslie Sayre

John Leslie Sayre, loving husband, father & grandfather, Minister, Theological Librarian, University Librarian, Seminary Dean, Tour Director and Gardener passed away peacefully on April 11, 2014 at Foxwood Spring Living Center, Raymore, Missouri. John was born in Hannibal, Missouri, to John L. Sayre, Sr., and Clara Lucile Haden on March 28, 1924. In 1925 John’s father moved the family from Hannibal to Oklahoma, working for Long Bell Lumber Company in Muskogee and Enid before settling in Norman where he eventually established Sayre Builders Supply.

John graduated from University High School in Norman in 1942. After one year at the University of Oklahoma, John transferred to Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma, where he graduated in 1946 with a degree in Religion. Also, in 1946 he was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). While a student at Phillips University and the Graduate Seminary, John served one year as pastor at the Cleo Springs Christian Church and then served two years as Campus Minister at University Place Christian Church.

In 1947, John entered Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. The following year, in June of 1948, he returned to Enid and University Place Christian Church to marry recent Phillips University graduate, Herwanna L. Harrouff of Lawton, Oklahoma. They then returned to New Haven where they lived the next two years while John finished his studies at Yale.

In 1950, upon John’s graduation from Yale with a Master of Divinity degree, they moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma, where John became Campus Minister for the Christian Church. While they were in Stillwater, they had four children, two boys and two girls. In 1957, they moved to Austin, Texas, where John became Campus Minister for University Christian Church across the street from the University of Texas. It was while serving as Campus Minister that the Sayre family began traveling, each year going to a different part of the United States and Canada, visiting national parks and world’s fairs.

In 1962, John was called to be the Seminary Librarian at the Phillips Graduate Seminary in Enid, Oklahoma. In order to prepare for that job he received the Master of Library Science degree in 1963. Ten years later, in 1973, the Ph.D. in Library Science from the University of Texas. In 1971, he was promoted to the position of University Librarian for Phillips University overseeing both the Graduate Seminary Library and Zollars Memorial Library (undergraduate library).

Always known for his organizational skills and attention to detail John was often asked to chair important university committees and task forces. He was the chair of the university’s Diamond Jubilee celebrating its 75th anniversary, as well as many Presidential & Dean search committees. In 1987, when the Graduate Seminary became independent from Phillips University, John was appointed Dean of the Seminary, while at the same time retaining his job as Seminary Librarian.

During their years at Phillips University, John and Herwanna continued to travel in the United States, visiting all but one state of the Union. In 1975, they made their first trip overseas on a 32-day tour of eleven countries of Europe. In 1977 and again 1983, they were asked to serve as faculty directors for students in Phillips University’s Semester in Sweden study abroad program at the Mullsjö Folkhögskola, a college in Mullsjö, Sweden. While there for four months, they toured all the countries of Scandinavia, and led their student group on a 12-day trip to the Soviet Union, as well as another 12-day trip through Southern Europe.

After these experiences they were hopelessly consumed with the need to share the joys of traveling the world with others, and found themselves organizing and directing tours for the next 33 years. Their very popular biennial tours of Scandinavia always included an extended stop in Mullsjö, Sweden, for the community’s annual midsummer celebration with the residents of Mullsjö opening their homes to the tour participants for meals and visits. In 1985 John was officially recognized as an honorary citizen of the city of Mullsjö in recognition of this special relationship with its community.

John retired from Phillips Theological Seminary in September, 1989, and he and his wife moved to Foxwood Springs Living Center in Raymore, Missouri where they started Sayre Tours. There he served as Volunteer Director of Special Activities at Foxwood, taking residents to the symphony, dinner theaters, plays, ballets, one-day outings to Nebraska City and Jamesport, Missouri, three and four-day excursions to places like Branson, San Antonio and New York City. In addition, they continued to conduct overseas tours and cruises to many countries on six different continents.

John is survived by his loving & devoted wife, Herwanna L. Sayre of Raymore, Missouri; four children – Barbara A. (Don) Hutchins of McLean, Virginia, John Richard Sayre (Mary Phillips) of Galesburg, Illinois, Alan D. Sayre (Linda Record) and Melody L. (Roy) Hildebrand of Enid, Oklahoma - five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Grandchildren: Constance (Sean) Gallagher, Enid, Oklahoma; Jeremy (Jennifer) Hildebrand, Enid, Oklahoma; John Aaron (Ali) Sayre, Louisville, Kentucky; Chris Hutchins (Amy Fox), San Francisco, California; and Allison Hutchins, McLean, Virginia. Great-grandchildren: Grant & Evan Gallagher, Enid, Oklahoma; Taylor & Jax Hildebrand, Enid, Oklahoma; Hazel Laura Sayre, Louisville, Kentucky.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Robert Haden Sayre and his sister Clara Ruth Sayre.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 19th, at 10:00am, at Raymore Christian Church, 500 Peace Drive, Raymore, Missouri 64083. A memorial service primarily for the residents of Foxwood Springs Retirement Community will be held on Thursday, April 17th, at 10:00 am at Bromwell Lounge. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Raymore Christian Church or to the Fellowship of John, PO Box 701, Raymore, Missouri 64083.

Arrangements under the direction of Mount Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, Kansas City, MO.