Tom Joseph Sawyer of Hayden, Idaho, passed peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, June 25, 2015. He was 71 years old.

Tom was born in Macon, Ga., to Nellie Mae Reeves Sawyer and Alton Walter Sawyer on April 26, 1944. He had four brothers and sisters.

Tom served in the United States Marine Corps, where he met his first wife, Christie, and eventually settled in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Tom and Christie had two children, Jeff and Tiffany. In Bonners Ferry Tom met the woman who would become his second wife, Sharon Fulton. He immediately became father to two more children, Kristin and Angela.

Tom worked as a cable splicer for GTE and then Verizon for almost 35 years.

Tom was well known as an "all around nice guy" and was the first to offer help wherever and whenever it was needed. He was an avid collector of guns, Marine Corps memorabilia, and all things John Wayne as well as a member of the Marine Corps League, VFW, North Idaho Duck Club and the Fernan Shooting Range.

Tom was a fierce protector of his family, and a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend; he will be deeply missed by all who were lucky enough to have had the opportunity to know him.

Tom was preceded in death by his first wife, Christie; his father and mother; his sister Lynn; and sister-in-law Wareen. Tom is survived by his wife, Sharon; son Jeff Sawyer, his wife LuAnn and their daughters Melissa and Nicole of Mechanicsville, Md., daughter Tiffany Weldon, her husband Bryan and their children Nick, Tony, Austin, Brianna and Alyssa of Grants Pass, Ore., daughter Kristin Larson, and her children RJ and Shelby of Kent, Wash., and daughter Angela and her children Desmond, Chase and Oliveah of Rathdrum, Idaho; his brother Rick Sawyer, his wife Sue and their children of Redding, Calif., brother James "Snooks" Sawyer and his children of Panama City Beach, Fla., and sister Mae Kramer and her husband David of Hemet, Calif.; best friends and sister-in-law Ken and Barbara Stevens of Rathdrum, Rod and Sandy Crecelius of Hayden, and Ron and Pat Jones of Hayden; great-grandchildren Karley, Kiley, Isabel, Brysen, Mason and Tristan; and countless other in-laws, nieces, nephews and friends.

A special thank you to the wonderfully caring nursing staff of Lark's Haven on Honeysuckle, and Auburn Crest Hospice, for the care provided to Tom in his final days.

Tom's loss will be felt by many, and his memory will live on in our hearts forever. Please join his family for a celebration of his life at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 889, 406 N. Fourth St., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and will be open to all who knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

English Funeral Chapel of Coeur d'Alene has been entrusted to handle final arrangements. Please visit Tom's online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.