Sawyer, John F.

John F. Sawyer (1/17/45 – 9/21/16) was born in Knoxville, TN and raised in Bucks County, PA by parents John A. Sawyer and Ruth J. Edwards. He is survived by his younger brother William (Michele) Sawyer, his wife Joy Goodman, his daughter Jeanette Sawyer Cohen and son-in-law Matthew Malter Cohen, and two beloved grandsons, Joshua and Aiden.

John holds a B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Notre Dame and Carnegie Mellon, respectively. He enjoyed a successful career as a research scientist at Eastman Kodak for 35 years and holds multiple patents for his work in motion picture film. His team won a technical Oscar in the mid-nineties and John’s daughter Jeanette accompanied him to the awards ceremony. After retiring from Kodak, John began extensive training in Feldenkrais, a form of somatic education where, through gentle movements, one’s nervous system is taught to form more efficient movement patterns. For the past 15 years John has helped clients of all ability levels in one-on-one and group class formats. In addition to his private practice, John volunteered countless hours offering this healing work to many individuals, regardless of their ability to pay for his help. His approach was generous, scientifically-grounded, psychologically-minded, integrative and effective.

Always an active traveler, in 2005, John met Joy Goodman during a bicycling trip in Quebec. He realized quickly that he had found the love of his life, and they were married in 2007 at their home in Fairport, NY. John enjoyed a life full of travel, adventure, and time with family. His vigorous battle against cancer ended with a quiet, peaceful goodbye, with both Joy and Jeanette at his side. John will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by his family, friends and clients.