Clay Eugene Sawyer

Clay E. Sawyer

May 22, 1943 – April 12, 2026

Clay Eugene Sawyer was born May 22, 1943 to Foye Sawyer and LaVern (Gordon) Sawyer. He was the second child of three born into the family. Clay grew up on a small farm on the south side of Farmington, NM. As a boy, he raised animals and helped on the family farm. He attended Farmington Schools and graduated from Farmington High School in 1961. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to San Diego, California for basic training. He was first stationed at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada. In addition to his military training, he received extensive medical training. Most of his time in the Navy was as a Navy Hospital Corpsman assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps. Clay received an Honorable Discharge from the Navy on August 17, 1967. After returning home to Farmington, he started working at local trading posts. He moved to Mexican Hat, NM and helped run the trading post. Eventually, he moved back to Farmington and began his extensive career at Southern Union Gas Company.

After being discharged from the military, Clay married Billie Lee and had two children, William Foye Sawyer (Jennifer) and Marsha Anne Peter (Arnold). In 1975, he married the love of his life, Donda Jo Sawyer. They were married for an amazing 50 years. In 1997, Clay discovered the truest form of love, that of being a grandparent. His grandchildren included Iliana Finken (Jacob), McKenzey Varnell (Ryan), Zeely Bustamante (Ben) and Blaze Sawyer. He also had two great-grandchildren, Leonard Finken and Gabriel Finken, as well as two on the way.

Clay was a man of few words, but the entire room would stop and listen when he did speak. He loved chocolate and would often get sneaky treats from his kids and grandkids when we thought nobody was looking. Clay loved to read, and his desire for learning never ceased. A gifted artist, he often expressed himself in his artwork when words were not enough. His home is decorated with the beautiful pieces he and Donda created over the last few decades and are a testament to how much he loved her and the life they created.

In addition to his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Clay is survived by his brother George (Mary Kay), his sister, Noma Williamson, several nephews, and his best friend, Ron Proctor. Clay was proceeded in death by his parents, and his father and mother-in-law, CD and Joyce May.

A memorial service will be held on April 25, 2026 at 11:00am at Farmington Funeral Home. The family would like to thank Dr. Pandya, Steve Davenport F-CNP, Dr. MacKerrow, Dr. Less, Dr. Del Carmen, San Juan County Fire Department - District 1, the wonderful nurses at SJRMC, and Farmington Funeral Home for his care.