John ""Jack"" J. Sayers

John J. Sayers, better known as Jack, was born in Springfield, Mass, on January 15, 1926, the son of Michael F. and Anna Shea Sayers. He served as a radioman in the Navy in WWII aboard the USS Albemarle, a seaplane tender that served in both the Atlantic and the Pacific theaters. He graduated from Holy Cross College in 1949 with a BS degree in ecomonics. He attended the University of Pittsburg and received his masters in retailing in 1950. A department store career followed for the next two decades. This led to Jack's move to Colorado in January 1968 when he was transferred to Denver Dry Goods as a divisional merchandise manager. He left retailing in 1972 and started a new career in real estate which lasted for the next 14 years, after which he retired. Inadvertently he forged a third career as a writer. A national fishing magazine, Fly Rod & Reel featured his humor in a column titled In Over My Waders. In 1993 he had a humor book on fly-fishing with the same title. His pen name was Gray Ugly, the name of a notable western fly-fishing pattern. He was also a correspondent for the Fly Tackle Dealer magazine for over a decade, and his writings led to his second book, a how-to about merchandising a fly-store. Jack was active with the Boy Scouts movement. He served as a Weblos leader for the local Cub pack, Institutional Representative, Assistant Scoutmaster to Troop 345, and District Commissioner. From scouting, he moved on to the sports scene and was very involved at the high school level. He was president of the Cherry Creek Touchdown Club in 1981 and treasurer for the succeeding 5 years. Jack had many interests besides his passion for fishing. He considered himself an above-average cook. He collected stamps and coins, was an avid reader, enjoyed bird watching, was a Dixieland band fan, and a lover of all things Irish. Mr. Sayers leaves a beloved wife Agnes and four sons: Michael J. (Stephane) Sayers, John T. (Susan Wolf) Sayers, Timothy P. (Laura) Sayers, and Patrick R. (Nancy) Sayers. His daughter Susan M. Sayers died in 1987. He leaves eight grandchildren: John M., Nicole, Daniel, Lauren, Maggie, Grace, Feliciana, and Nash. He was a member of Risen Chris parish and a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Jack's family will receive guests Thursday, August 15, 2013, 5:00 - 7:00 PM at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 1091 South Colorado Boulevard, Denver. You are welcome to join the family for the Recitation of the Rosary at 7:00 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, August 16, 2013, 10:00 AM at Church of the Risen Christ Catholic Church, 3060 South Monaco Parkway, Denver. He will be laid to rest at Hampden Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to St. Jude's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or Lupus Foundation of Colorado, 1211 S. Parker Road, Denver, CO 80231. Please share your memories of Jack by selecting the Guestbook link below.