Thomas Eugene Sayre of Bridgehampton died on December 13. He was 87.
He was born on September 19, 1937, in Bridgehampton. He was a resident of Poquoson for 38 years before moving to The Chesapeake in Newport News in 2017.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1955 at the age of 17. His career took him to New Brunswick, Maine, Newport, Rhode Island, Tom’s River, New Jersey, Norfolk, Virginia, Pensacola, Florida, and Jacksonville, Florida. While at sea, he served on aircraft carriers — the USS Independence, and he was on the commissioning crew of the USS John F. Kennedy. He spent one year (1964) at the fuel farm in Antarctica. During the time he served in the Navy, cruises were nine to 10 months long, and the only way to communicate, except in the case of an emergency, was by air mail. Family separations were lengthy. He retired from the Navy in 1975, after attaining the rank of master chief petty officer.
He then went on to further his education. He studied at Old Dominion University, Pensacola Junior College, and The University of West Florida. In 1977, upon graduating from UWF, he was hired by the Air Force Audit Agency and joined the Civil Service. He worked for two years at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, and then spent the rest of his career at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, retiring in 1998. He was the audit manager for Air Combat Command at the time of his retirement.
Despite being extremely busy during both of his careers, he always found time for his family. His wife Nancy was his true love, his family said, and they were married for 62 years when she died in 2021. While she made houses into homes, he improved them. He remodeled kitchens and bathrooms, repainted whole houses, and even tore down a few walls to enlarge rooms.
He also made time to attend concerts and games his children (and later grandchildren) were in. He always managed to find time to listen to his children, read with them, help with homework, play with them, and love them.
He was an skilled woodworker, and built furniture, toys, carving boards, and wooden bowls. Hundreds of the toys he made were sent with the Appalachian Service Project team.
He could fix anything, his family said. When he was young, he would buy an old “beater” to commute when he had shore duty, fix it up, and sell it for more than he paid for it.
Tom’s faith in Christ showed in the way he served others, his family said. He was a dedicated and Godly husband. He put his family first. He helped out many people with money, cars, or jobs. He fixed things at his church, and in his children’s homes after they grew up and moved out. He volunteered at Jane Bryan and Machen Elementary Schools in Hampton, and at the food closet at St. Luke’s UMC, where he also served as a trustee. He did not talk much about these deeds, they said, he just did them.
He was very active during the past seven years at The Chesapeake. He has served as the chair of the Wellness Committee, chair of the Activities Committee, and president of the Resident Council. He was the 2023 recipient of the Influencer Award at the Chesapeake.
The family would like to thank the staff and residents at The Chesapeake, especially Faye Mayberry and Harry and June Robinson, for the love and kindness that they have shown to him.
He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy Lewis Sayre; and his parents, Warren and Majorie Sayre. He is survived by his daughter, Jennifer McMasters (Brad) of Poquoson, Virginia; his son Richard Sayre (Debra) of Carrollton, Virginia; his granddaughters Lee McMasters of Radford, Virginia, Beth (Zach) Martin of Lynchburg, Virginia, and Jessica McMasters of Harrisonburg, Virginia; his great-grandson Emet James Martin, of Lynchburg; his sister, Judy Debes of Downingtown, Pennsylvania; his brother-in-law, Gil Tennant of Southampton; and many nieces and nephews.
Services were held on December 19-20 in Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Luke’s Food Closet, 300 Ella Taylor Rd, Yorktown, VA 23692, or The Chesapeake Benevolent Fund, 955 Harpersville Rd, Newport News, VA 23601.
Staff Writer on Dec 30, 2024