Jean Osborn Sawyer

Jean Osborn Sawyer and was born March 29,1929 and died July 11, 2024.

A native of Chickamauga, Georgia, she was the daughter of the late Dr Edwin B Osborn and Lena Bell Osborn.  She was a graduate of Agnes Scott College.

Jean Sawyer came to Gainesville as a young bride in 1951, raised her family and has been a leader in a number of garden club, church, art and civic organizations at the local and state level.  She was the Gainesville Rotary Woman of the Year in 1987.

Shortly after coming to Gainesville as a young bride in 1951, she became active in the Takeda Garden Club and later was president of that club, the Gateway Garden Club and president of the Gainesville Garden Club Council.  She was active in the Gainesville Junior Service League, serving as a committee chair and an officer.

In 1961 she became a board member of the Laurel District of the Garden Club of Georgia and later became Laurel District Director.  She first became a director of the statewide Garden Club of Georgia in 1983, and at times chaired statewide committees for Arboreta and Botanical Gardens, Calendar and Judges Credentials.

Jean Sawyer was chair of the Georgia State Flower Show held at Callaway Gardens in 2003.  In 2004 she was chair of the Garden Club of Georgia annual meeting in Atlanta, and the following year was co-chairman of the Deep South meeting.  She spent four years working with Dean Day Sanders and Peggy White on the statewide “Georgia:  Don’t Mess Up A Good Thing” campaign.  Mrs. Sawyer served as an officer or director of the Garden Club of Georgia until 2008 when she was accorded Director Emeritus status.

She was a Master Landscape Design Consultant, a member of GALDA, an Environmental Consultant, and a Master Flower Show Judge.  She was a member of Creative Study, a judges’ club in Marietta.  Jean Sawyer served on the Governor’s Citizens Advisory Committee for Georgia Clean and Beautiful, and was the 1991 recipient of the Carolyn Crayton Award for her work in that organization. She was a life member of the Garden Club of Georgia, Deep South Garden Clubs, and the National Council of Garden Clubs.

She served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, 1981-91, heading the committee on Beautification and recycling.  She was active in gaining Gainesville’s recognition as a Tree City, U.S.A., and in having the Sugar Maple chosen as the Gainesville Tree because of its beautiful color.  She was a leader in the movement to renovate the Civic Building.  In other activities, she was a member of the Willliam Marsh Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and she and her husband, Gordon, were both Trustees Emeritus of the Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville.

An Elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville, Jean Sawyer at various times taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, worked with the Rug Hooking Guild, started the Flower Guild, and served as chair of the Grounds Committee. She was an honorary life member of her churches’ Presbyterian Women. 

In 2010 she started the annual Easter Egg hunt that Lanier Village holds for Challenged Child and Friends (Sisu)each year.

She and her husband, Gordon who predeceased her in 2015, were married for 65 years. They had 3 sons, Louis (Kathy) Sawyer, Edwin (Cathryn) Sawyer, Robin (Paula) Sawyer all of Gainesville, 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren as well as a very loving and large extended family. She was known as Mama Jean by all the kids on the magical Springdale Road.

Funeral services will be held on July 29th at 10:30 am with a reception immediately following at First Presbyterian Church, Gainesville, Georgia.   The family encourages memorial contributions to the Quinlan Visual Arts Center or First Presbyterian Church.

Those wishing to send online condolences to the family may do so at littledavenport.com

 Little & Davenport Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.