Joan Ruth Sawyer

Joan Ruth (DePuy) Balvich Sawyer, age 86, of Fort Pierce, Florida passed away on December 9, 2015 at her son’s home in Rensselaer, Indiana. Joan was born July 26, 1929, in San Diego, California, the daughter of John C. DePuy and Marjorie Ruth (Bateson) Conkle. Joan was raised in San Diego where she attended Grossmont High School Joan had lived in Chicago, Clarendon Hills, Ill., Berwyn, Ill., Dayton, Ohio, Monticello, Ind. and most recently in Fort Pierce, Florida for 18 years. Her marriage was on April 15, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois to John J. Balvich, Sr. who passed away on October 15, 2011. Joan raised her children in Berwyn where she served as the President of the local PTA, and was a Girl Scout leader and a Boy Scout den mother. She was a member of the Berwyn Moose Lodge where she enjoyed portraying both Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. An active member of the Republican Party, Joan had the honor of introducing Ronald Reagan at the Republican Day Dinner in DuPage County, Illinois, when he was Governor of California. She enjoyed being a Real Estate agent while living in Berwyn and was featured in a local magazine for her interior design talents. Later in adulthood Joan returned to San Diego where she was employed as an Executive Secretary for Emark Corporation. Relocating to the Midwest, Joan met and married Alexander “Steve” Sawyer in Monticello, Indiana in 1996. They enjoyed life together, later moving to Fort Pierce, Florida. Joan was an active member of the Indian Creek Presbyterian Church in Fort Pierce where she served as a Deacon of the church. She was a sports enthusiast with a competitive spirit, was an avid golfer and she and Steve held the honor of being Bocce Ball Champions. While living in Fort Pierce Joan became the Chairperson of the Crop Hunger Walk in Florida which was the largest fund raiser to feed the needy. Joan was very proud of her family whom she loved and cherished. Surviving with her husband Steve are her children, John (wife Arlene) Balvich of Rensselaer, Dr. James (wife Becky) Balvich of Blowing Rock, NC, Dr. Jordan (wife Beth) Balvich of Rensselaer and Joan “Missie” (husband Ron) Kane of Overland Park, Kansas. Also surviving are 19 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and two brothers, William “Bill” (wife Judi) DePuy and John DePuy, both of San Diego, CA, along with many loving nieces and nephews. Joan was preceded in death by her father and mother, a son Jeffrey Balvich, a sister Marjorie Eggleston and a brother Quentin “Roger” DePuy. Friends will be received at the Jackson Funeral Chapel of Rensselaer on Saturday, December 12, 2015 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Funeral mass will the Saturday, December 12, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. at the St. Augustine Catholic Church in Rensselaer with Father Stang officiating. Burial will be at Roselawn Memorial Cemetery in Terra Haute, Indiana. Memorials may be made to the Crop Hunger Walk c/o World Church Services, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515 or by going to www.crophungerwalk.org.

Joan Ruth Sawyer

July 26, 1929 - December 9, 2015