Marketing all-star Robert A. Sawyer, Bob, who had a decades long career in advertising, direct mail, and digital marketing, died at home on February 2. He began his illustrious career at The Reader’s Digest Association as a product manager.  Other roles included Compton Direct Marketing at Saatchi and Saatchi as SVP; president of Sawyer Direct (a division of BBDO International); SVP, management supervisor, Wunderman at Young & Rubicam; and SVP, managing director, and Ayer Direct at N.W. Ayer. His career culminated serving as founder and president of Sawyer Direct.

         Sawyer’s many clients included L.L. Bean, Land’s End, Thermos Company, Alpha Romeo, American Express, Avon, Petty Printing, Spring Hill Nursery Catalogue, Pepsi-Cola, The U.S. Army “Be All you Can Be” campaign; Campbell’s Soup’s “Labels for Education” program; Proctor and Gamble; and the launching of People magazine.

         Sawyer contributed to a variety of organizations. He was a board member of the Hudson Valley Direct Marketing Association, where he was awarded the Founders Award; board member of the Direct Marketing Club of New York, receiving the Silver Apple award for making strides in the area of direct marketing and contributing his time and talents to the industry for over 25 years.  

Socially, he was a member of American Yacht Club recognized as the 2017 recipient of the Michael B. Duncan Memorial Trophy for exemplifying the spirit and sportsmanship of sailing.  Personally, Sawyer was an active member of the Rye Presbyterian Church where he served on the Board of Deacons and the Board of Elders. He also gave his time to various groups, most notably his volunteer work at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital for over 23 years on the stroke unit.

Prior to joining the marketing industry, Sawyer attended Proctor Academy in Andover, NH and graduated from Syracuse University, Newhouse School of Communication with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Advertising. After college he served as a First Lieutenant Communications Specialist in the U.S. Army stationed in La Rochelle, France from 1961 to 1964. 

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Sally W. Beatty, his children Molly Daley of Pawleys Island, SC and John Sawyer of Atlanta, GA, as well as his eight grandchildren and four great-grand children of whom he was exceptionally proud. Sawyer is also survived by siblings, twin brother Bruce Sawyer of Baltimore, MD; Peter Sawyer of Leawood, KS; and Susan Schiff of Denver, CO.  He was predeceased by his son Jeffrey and his brothers C.D. Sawyer, Jr. and Richard. Born in Brooklyn, NY to Charles Douglas Sawyer, MD and Ruth Partridge Sawyer on March 14, 1939, he was a long-time resident of Rye, NY.