Jean Sayres Westsik, nee Katheryn Jean Sayres, 99, died September 15, 2025, in Kennewick, Washington.  She was born in Knoxville, TN on May 27, 1926, to Gerald and Ruth Sayres.  She grew up in Knoxville with her younger brothers Jerry and Tom.  After graduating from Central High School, she attended Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, graduating in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry.

Jean loved to travel and meet people of diverse backgrounds.  Prior to World War II, she lived in Germany with a host family through the Experiment in International Living.   Jean worked briefly at the government facilities in Oak Ridge, TN.  To help with the refugee effort after World War II, she returned to Germany to work at the World Council of Churches Presbyterian office in Munich-Pasing.  There she met a handsome young English-speaking Hungarian man also working with the refugee effort.  They married in Michaelsbuch, Germany February 24, 1951, and repeated their vows August 28, 1951, in Marion, Virginia.

Jean and Joe settled in Tonawanda, New York where their family grew with the births of Joe Jr., George, and Kathy over the next four years.  Upon Joe’s graduation from college in 1959, the family moved to Oak Ridge, TN where Joe worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.   In 1965, Jean and Joe welcomed their fourth child, Bill, to the family.  The following year, the Westsiks moved to Richland, WA, where Joe worked on the Fast Flux Test Facility.

In the fall of 1973, Jean, Joe, Kathy, and Bill moved to Novato, CA, where Joe worked for Bechtel in San Francisco.

Jean and Joe returned to Richland after Joe retired in 1996 to be near Joe Jr and George and to views of Rattlesnake Mountain.  Joe died January 19, 2010, in Richland, Washington from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Following Joe’s death, Jean met her new neighbor, Owen Bratvold, from across the hall as she stepped out of her apartment one day.  Their relationship developed quickly through mutual interests such as music and working jigsaw puzzles.  They had a celebration and blessing of their covenant of love for each other at All Saints Episcopal Church on October 29, 2011.  They shared their remaining years together.

Everywhere she lived, Jean was active in her local church.  She was a frequent volunteer, helping welcome new members to each parish.  She continued her religious studies at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and through the Stephens Ministry.  She loved gardening, planting flowers outside the front porch of Jean’s and Joe’s first apartment and designing the landscaping at each of their homes across the country.  She enjoyed learning: genealogy coding when she did a genealogy study of the Sayres family, Hungarian in preparation for a trip to Hungary to visit Joe’s brothers, Master gardener training, as well as her religious studies.  She enjoyed crossword puzzles and playing bridge and other card games.  She enjoyed classical music including supporting the Novato Lyric Opera and the Winifred Baker Chorale.  Whether at church or in her living facility, she was sure to engage the members/neighbors in a production of McGillcuddy’s Farm.  Jean loved people.  She greeted everyone with a smile and a kind word.  She was caring of everyone, offering encouraging words, cracking a joke, listening.

Jean is survived by her companion, Oven Bratvold, his family, and by her children: son Joe Jr. and his companion Ginny, son George and his wife Jane, daughter Kathy (Trimble) and her husband Kevin, and son Bill and his wife Patricia.  She is also survived by her brothers Jerry Sayres and his wife, Jean, in Shreveport, LA, and Tom Sayres and his wife, Patti, in Knoxville, TN.   Jean has seven grandchildren,  eleven great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews and their families, in the United States and Hungary.

A memorial service joyfully celebrating Jean’s life is planned for 2:00 pm Sunday, September 28, at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Richland, Washington.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Arc of Tri-Cities, American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, or Second Harvest.