LOWELL - Dennis R. J. Savard, 53, a lifelong Lowell resident and veteran of the Vietnam War, died Tuesday evening, Aug. 22, at Lowell General Hospital after a battle with cancer. He was the husband of Diane (Gallagher) Savard. He was born in Lowell on Feb. 20, 1953, a son of the late Maurice C. and Rita M. (Cadorette) (Savard) Thout. He was educated in Lowell schools. During the Vietnam War, Mr. Savard served in the Air Force. Prior to his illness, he was employed in the transportation field, and chauffeured for the Lowell Community Health Center. He also been employed by the former Wang Laboratories in Lowell. Besides his wife, he is survived by four sons and two daughters-in-law, Dennis R. J. Savard Jr. and Renee Savard, Anthony J. and Donna Savard, John-Henry Savard and Kevin M. Savard, all of Lowell; a daughter and her husband, Jennifer J. and Paul Teixeira of Manchester, N.H.; seven grandchildren, Paul "Jr." Teixeira, Jonathan Teixeira, Brooklyn Savard, Audry Savard, Austin Savard, Allyssa Savard and Ava Rose Savard; two brothers and a sister-in-law, Maurice A. and Diane Savard of Florida and David Savard of Dracut; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Rita M. Hood of Lowell, Jane M. and Edward Tibbettes of Stoneham, and Rosemary G. and William Thompson of Lowell; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Mr. Savard was also the brother-in-law of the late George Hood.