Robert Sayer

Robert Sayer, 80, of Petoskey, Michigan, died Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at Bortz Health Care of Petoskey, Michigan.

He was born April 10, 1932 in Ida, MI, the son of Michael and Helen (Balogh) Sayer, and grew up in Romulus, Michigan, graduating from Romulus High School..

He served his country in the U.S. Air Force while stationed in Arizona as an operating room assistant during the Korean war.

Robert was graduated from Eastern Michigan University and taught high school in Dearborn Public Schools his entire career, first at Fairlane Junior High, then Dearborn High School. While teaching at Dearborn High School, one of the students he coached won the Westinghouse science award. His long-time method of cross-disciplinary science curriculum to include environmental science was later adopted by the Dearborn school system.

He built three family homes, and he worked with the Friends of the Jordan of East Jordan, Michigan for ten years until its successful preservation of the Jordan Valley watershed in northern Michigan. He enjoyed gardening, building, fishing, nature, astronomy, teaching and mentoring and visiting with friends in East Jordan.

He and Irene M. Moilanen were married on October 22, 1955 in Detroit. Following their life's work in Dearborn, they made their home in East Jordan, retiring in the summer home he built in 1962.

Besides his wife Irene, he is survived by daughters Andrea (Ord) Frazier of Ypsilanti, Michigan, Lise D. Sayer of North Plainfield, NJ, Tamara (Steve) Acosta of Clayton, NC, Kristin I. Sayer of Clayton, NC; a brother Carl (Nadine) Sayer of LaGrange, KY, and a nephew Craig (Martha) Sayer of Cincinnati, OH.

A memorial service will be held at a later time.

For those wishing to make memorial contributions the family suggests Friends of the Jordan or their favorite environmental or educational charity.

Arrangements were made by Hastings Funeral Home in Ellsworth, Michigan. (See legacy.com)