Janie Sawyer Marty, born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on October 9, 1947, joined our Lord Jesus Christ on May 31, 2022, a day that coincided with the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Janie moved to Texas in her youth and graduated from San Antonio's Robert E. Lee High School and Incarnate Word University, where she received her BA in Early Education. Her positive interactions with the sisters at Incarnate Word inspired her to join the Roman Catholic Church.

 

After graduating from college, Janie began her teaching career advocating for and nurturing the minds of special education students. Janie’s teaching career spanned four decades with her longest stint at Hidden Forest Elementary in NEISD. She devoted not only her career but also her heart to her students' needs. During her career as an educator, she developed rich, storied friendships with her teaching colleagues that served as a foundation of her social circle that she cherished.

 

After returning home from serving our country in Vietnam, Wayne Marty first noticed Janie as she walked into a local restaurant. Wayne remarked to a close friend, "Look at that beautiful woman." Wayne soon discovered that Janie was the sibling of Wayne's fraternity brother, Freeman Sawyer. Upon learning of Wayne's interest, Freeman and his wife Beverly conspired to spark romance with Wayne and Janie. Their plan - which involved a Dallas Cowboys game, a suspect flat tire, and a family get-together - worked, and Wayne and Janie embarked on a love story that lasted nearly 51 years of blissful matrimony. Wayne describes Janie's beauty as effortless, and he smiles when recalling the wind blowing through her long hair during their drives with the windows down.

 

Janie retired from teaching when Wayne received a promotion in the Texas National Guard. During Wayne's tenure as Assistant Adjutant General and later Adjutant General, Janie's devotion to young people became evident again in her work with the Texas Challenge Academy, a volunteer program offering second chances to at-risk youth and her work with the families of deployed Guardsmen. For her service to the State, Gov. Rick Perry recognized Janie as an honorary Yellow Rose of Texas, and the Department of the Army awarded Janie the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal for her faithful and exceptional service to the soldiers, airmen, and their families.  

 

Janie was the mother to three beautiful children, her eldest son, Ritchie, and daughters, Robin and Brandy. Janie instilled many wonderful qualities in her children, including always being grace-filled and kind, working hard, and always doing your best to be your best.  Janie impressed upon her children that the greatest love is the love of God and family. The lessons Janie instilled in her children will forever be imprinted on their hearts and her wisdom and legacy will be a very special gift for generations to come.

 

A hallmark of Janie's life was her love of the beach, where she spent decades playing in the surf and sand and fishing on the jetties or in their boat, the WoJoMo. Janie and Wayne built a beach house in Port Aransas in 1979 that still stands and remains filled with countless happy memories.

 

Janie loved large and lived fully. She was quick to laugh and surrounded herself with great people, music, food, and tasty drink. She was smart enough to know the key to a good party was to ensure that there were never enough places for people to sit while a fun time was afoot. Janie loved the people and spirit of San Antonio. During Fiesta, she was a faithful participant with a special place in her heart for the Night in Old San Antonio celebration.

 

Janie's happiest moments were those surrounded by her family, and she always relished the chance to enjoy one of the world-class shrimp boils she and Wayne prepared around a crowded table. She doted on her four grandchildren whenever possible. Her family describes her as hard-working, tenacious, graceful and grace-filled, loving, and radiant. She upheld meaningful traditions and passed them on to the next generation, including hand-written Thank You notes. Those notes reflect the gratitude she felt throughout her life.

 

Janie passed peacefully after battling pancreatic cancer for four years. Years were added to her life by the efforts of Dr. Ching-Wei Tzeng and Dr. Shubham Pant and a team of dedicated clinicians at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her entire family is grateful to the sisters and staff of the Saint Francis Nursing Home that cared for Janie during her final weeks.

 

Janie Marty is survived by her husband, Lt. Gen. Wayne Marty (ret.), of Alamo Heights; children, Robin Elizabeth Todd and Brandy Marty Marquez, and their respective spouses, Royce and Enrique; four grandchildren, Hunter Pearce, Emily Parker and her husband Jeff, Sarah Todd, and Maximilian Marquez; and her brother Freeman Sawyer and sister Jan Sawyer. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jordan and Evelynn Sawyer, and her son, Ritchie Marty.

 

The family will receive guests on Thursday, June 16, 2022 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Porter Loring Mortuary.

 

ROSARY

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2022

7:00 P.M.

PORTER LORING MORTUARY CHAPEL

 

MASS

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2022

11:00 A.M.

ST. ANTHONY DE PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH

102 LORENZ RD, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209

 

 

In lieu of flowers, Janie's family requests that mourners donate to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in her honor or to the Texas ChalleNGe Academy.