Dr. Jerry "Dusty" Alan Sayers

May 15, 1979 - August 29, 2021

Click here to view a livestream of Dr. Sayers' Memorial Service Dr. Jerry "Dusty" Alan Sayers, 42, passed away after a brief illness on Sunday, August 29, 2021. Dusty grew up in Johnson City, TN, where he graduated from Science Hill High School in 1997. He went on to obtain a B.A. in History from the University of Tennessee in 2001 where he graduated Summa Cum Laude , a M.A. in History from the University of Virginia in 2002, a M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Milligan University in 2004, and an Ed.D from ETSU in 2015. He received and achieved many awards and honor which can be viewed on his website, http://www.sayersnet.com/~dusty/. Dusty valued education, which was reflected through the impact he had on his many students throughout his years of teaching at Science Hill. He was also the sponsor for the popular after school club, Medieval Battle Association (MBA). Dusty attended Walnut Christian Church and was a man of quiet faith. Dusty was a wonderful and loving, father, husband, son, grandson, friend, teacher, and servant to God. He had an extraordinary sense of humor, loved board games, reading, writing, tomahawk throwing, singing to his sons, enjoying nature with his family, and he also had a deep respect for tradition. He greatly enjoyed reenacting, especially performing as The Reverend Samuel Doak in the annual production of "Liberty!". He was often chosen to read the Declaration of Independence in his purple trimmed tricorn hat which he always claimed was blue trimmed; it absolutely was not blue. His favorite time period was the 18th century in America and this became well known when he had the Battle of King's Mountain as the theme on his groom's cake for his wedding. Dusty is survived by his beloved wife of 15 years, Robin, their two sons, Landon and Bo, and his mother, Janis (Miller) McCrary. He is preceded in death by his father, Jerry Ellis Sayers and all his grandparents. Dusty touched so many lives that it is not possible to name all those who are left to grieve his passing and cherish his memory. He would certainly wish his life to be honored by donating to a charity in which he found to be a very important program and resource for children and their families. If you wish to do so, please send a check payable to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or donate online at https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?sc_icid=address-faq-donate-txt. A Celebration of Dusty's life will be held on April 24, 2022, at Tetrick Funeral Services, in Johnson City with visitation from 2-4 pm and the service to follow at 4 pm. A private interment will be held at a later time at Washington County Memory Gardens. Please wear themed socks if you can to honor his stylish wit and wisdom. It is only fitting to end this obituary as he would want it to end and that is by stating that in lieu of flowers, please live as Dusty did and do as much as what it is listed below as you can. Don't take a day for granted. -Tithe and donate for the Lord and others for the right reasons, not for recognition and praise -Read your children devotionals each night - Sing Loch Lomond to your children -Draw and play games with your kids -Put a cicada shell on your wife's head before she uses the bathroom so it falls in her lap as she sits on the seat for the perfect scream -Tell your kids to collect cicada shells and take them to their mother while she's sleeping -Hide fake bugs in the bed sheets for your wife -Write thank you notes to everyone -Buy an unsweetened chocolate bar and offer people chocolate -Buy a useless box -Build your children cardboard trains -Take your children on walks through the woods -Take your wife to Hippie Hill and wear flowers in your hair even if neither of you are hippies -Stand in a Redwood at Muir Woods with your wife - Tell your wife that there is an earthquake season in California -Eat lima beans -Make mashed potatoes and add a mild amount of cinnamon to them -Eat Thai food -Eat Pie -Make your wife a recipe box -Make Welsh cakes with your wife -Ride roller coasters -Wear a leek on your hat for St. David's Day -Learn how to pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch with ease -Take your wife walking all over Wales by accident -Buy HP Brown Sauce -Wear a Blue Jay feather on your hat so Welsh women flirt with you in front of your wife -Wear beard ornaments with your tacky Christmas sweater -Blow your nose so loudly that it makes teenagers, as well as your wife, jump out of their seat in McDonald's -Build your own wall clock -Build your own lectern -Build your own tomahawk target -Build your children an oversized train table so they can build the best layouts on it - Buy button up shirts with macaws on them to match Bright's Zoo macaw exhibits -Wear stylish hats the proper way - Buy classy shirts and wear cuff links -Take Jeopardy try out tests every chance you can - Write Christmas letters with footnotes longer than the body of the letters -Draw a big mustache on your son's face -Seal letters with wax -Swim across the lake and back at Watauga Point - Buy 3 varieties of blueberry shrubs so they cross pollinate and yield lots of blueberries for summer -Drink watermelon coke and shakes at least once in your life - Drink Dr. Enuf at least once in your life -Put an Eat More Possum bumper sticker on your truck -Play board games with your kids and wife - If you fall asleep in church, at least snore too -Buy a class ring and wear it proudly every time you graduate - If your child is interested in a subject, become just as interested as he or she is -Grow and trim your beard properly -If you're dating, don't fart until you get married. - Look serious all the time, especially when driving go carts and riding kid's rides -Post the Groundhog Day meme of Bill Murray every day for a year (block your wife if she starts fussing about it) -Wear ties, vests, cuff links, spats, and pocket watches correctly -Teach your children how to use a shoe horn and pointer -Learn how to use a quill pen and ink well properly -Write messily so your wife has to decipher your personalized grocery list - Call Eggo waffles and pancakes "Breakfast Bread" - Use deadpan humor and puns as much as possible -Tell corny jokes - Tell really bad Dad jokes at bedtime to your wife -Laugh and be proud of all the funny things your children do even if it's deviates from the norm. What's normal anymore? -Buy a top hat and wear it with no shame -Listen to John Prine and Johnny Cash; buy your kids the Johnny Cash Children's album -Sing Dinosaur Train's "Dinosaurs A to Z" in your deepest voice possible to cheer up your kids -Spill a big jar of pickles in the kitchen floor at least once - Make awesome dad messes that your wife gets mad about but laughs hysterically at too -Use Scott 1000 Sheet toilet paper only -Have dice and marbles to play with always -Wear 100% cotton only for everything if you can -Always carry a handkerchief -Pay for things with 2 dollars bills and dollar coins -Take your time using correct change to pay, even if it takes a long time and your wife is impatient sometimes -Eat the breakfast in bed your children make for you even if it consists of dry cheerios, raisins, and peanuts on a plate -Leave a trail of spilled coffee drops so your family can always find you in whatever room you try to hide out in -Buy a tricorn hat that you think has blue trim - Wear cool themed socks -Use the word knave properly - Hum while you shower, dress, and walk around - Open doors for your lady and complete strangers without second thought -If your wife does a horrible job cutting your hair, tell her it looks good anyway even if she admits it looks awful -Make the most obnoxious sounds while sipping drinks - Learn how to cook with wine, especially when baking a Thanksgiving turkey and bacon chicken -Memorize Rev. Samuel Doak's Sermon and Prayer for Sycamore Shoals Muster 26 September 1780 -Own an Oxford English Dictionary set -Learn how to drive a straight shift truck without power steering -Plant a garden - Date your spouse -Teach your kids how to chop wood and build fires -Jump in foam pits with your kids even if it takes an hour to get out - Jump on trampolines with a serious look -Wrap everything individually so it makes whoever feel like they've gotten more -Wear suitcoats and waistcoats well -Learn to juggle and juggle fruit and vegetables in grocery stores -Make animals out of balloons -Let your kids tickle you, hug you, and love on you as often as possible -Learn to sew so if your wife prefers to mow and not sew, someone will know how to -Learn how to use tools correctly -Learn how to set a table properly -Tip properly and extra -Grade honestly, fairly, and thoroughly even if it is hard -Have a wide and extensive vocabulary --Learn what wine goes with what food -Laugh hysterically at nonsensical news with your wife -Giggle with your children -Play with your children -Think and question critically even if there is opposition -Advocate for your children and for what is right and good despite adversity -Last, but not least, be kind even when others are not.