WILLIAM C. SAUNDERS
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. William C. Saunders passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019, while surrounded by his family.
Bill was the husband of the late Virginia Smith Saunders. They were married in March of 1968 while attending college in Northfield, Vermont. He was the oldest son of the late Ralph W. and Ella Viall Saunders. After graduating in 1965 from Attleboro High School, Bill went on to receive a bachelor's degree from Norwich University in Northfield and then on to receive a master's degree in 1972 from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. After graduating from Norwich University in 1969, Bill received a commission in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant. Lt. Col. Saunders served on active duty from 1969 through 1972. In late 1972, Bill transitioned from active duty to the U.S. Army Reserve in order to continue his service to his country. During his 26-year military career, he was mobilized for service in support of Panama and the Gulf War as well as leading several deployments to Europe. Bill had the distinction of being a staff officer in the first U.S. Army Reserve unit to be mobilized for a declared national disaster (blizzard of 1978). Some of his most memorable moments were the adventures he shared with his close friend, the late Command Sgt. Maj. John Macedo, and re-telling of those adventures to all who would listen. Bill retired from the military in 1996. While serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, Bill held a civilian career as an educator in the Attleboro Public School System as a vocational special needs teacher and a technology teacher. He retired from teaching in 2004 after a more than 35-year career. As an educator, he believed in the advancement of technology and the education of technology to his students. As part of this, Bill was actively involved with the Technology Preparation Program at Bristol Community College. When not otherwise working with the Army or the schools, Bill assisted his family in the operation of the Credit Reporting Bureau in Attleboro, Massachusetts, for more than 25 years.
In retirement, Bill served as the director of Veterans' Services for the Town of Rehoboth, where he resided for 42 years. He was a life member of the American Legion and served as the local Post 302 adjutant from 1998 to 2014. In addition to his passion for the military and veterans, Bill had a lifelong love for the game of golf. He would often say "the golf god has a way of teasing you," while in search of the elusive "hole-in-one." After a lifetime of trying, Bill was able to attain this goal of a "hole-in-one" in 2007 while playing with friends at Stone-E-Lea Golf Course in Attleboro. He enjoyed the time he spent playing the game with his friends and most enjoyed playing with his son, grandsons and son-in-law.
Bill is survived by his daughter, Kathleen J. Lee and her husband retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Robert N. Lee Jr. of Sumter; his son, Brendan J. Saunders and his wife, Tracy L. Saunders, of Cypress, Texas; sister, Cynthia Kelley and her spouse, Kathryn Greene, of Tallahassee, Florida; and brothers, Frederick V. Saunders and wife, Sandra, of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, and Dana E. Saunders and wife, Kathy, of Attleboro. In addition, he is survived by four grandchildren, granddaughter Kayla E. Saunders of Cypress and grandsons, Nicholas and Joseph Saunders of Cypress and Edward R. Lee of Sumter; seven nieces and nephews; and 13 grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
Visiting hours will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday at Bullock Funeral Home on Wilson Hall Road in Sumter.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday in the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel, 1190 Wilson Road, Sumter, with the Rev. Jock Hendricks officiating. Interment with full military honors will follow the service at 1 p.m. on Monday at the Fort Jackson National Cemetery in Columbia.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that charitable donations be made to The American Legion (www.legion.org); American Legion Post 302, P.O. Box 1, Rehoboth, MA 02769; the USO (www.uso.org); or other U.S. military veterans related charitable organization.
You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family's guest book.
The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.