BAKERSVILLE, N.C. — Edward Shipp Saunders died on March 14, 2022, at his home in Chugiak Alaska with his wife and daughter by his side reading his beloved scripture and poetry.
He was born January 7, 1932, to Watkins and Lillian Saunders of White Springs, Florida.
Growing up on the banks of the Suwannee River he learned to fish, hunt, farm, and tell tales. His love of the river lasted a lifetime, and the gentle flows of the river mirrored his personality. In his youth, he worked in his father’s general store selling feed and other agricultural products. In his late teens and early adulthood, he farmed tobacco, corn, and peanuts. Ed kept his listeners spellbound by mixing fact and yarn into his tales. Ed did not have a bucket list; he lived his list. Ed was vivacious, energetic, and imaginative. His friends knew he would rise at 3AM in Alaska to catch them on the phone on the East coast before their day began. He always wanted to “click eyeballs”, wanting his word and handshake enough to seal a deal.
After attending Loomis Prep school in Connecticut, he enrolled at the University of Florida. He graduated as salutatorian with a B.S. in Agronomy. Upon graduation Ed joined the Army and was stationed in Germany for two years. After his discharge he returned to the University of Florida to get his master’s degree in Agronomy. It was there while opening a library door for a young lady that he met the love of his life, Harriett Henry, who became his wife for the next 63 years.
Ed joined the Dow Chemical Company in 1960 and after two years at a Winter Park, Florida research station they moved to Midland, Michigan to work internationally in herbicide product support. Ed loved to travel and visit farmers and ranchers all over the world. During this time, he was able to visit every non-communist country in the world. Ed worked for Dow for 25 years taking his family to Miami, São Paulo, Brazil, Texas, and back to Michigan, and finally St. Louis, Missouri, where he retired in 1985. Summers were spent in the valley of Roan Mountain, North Carolina. Ed and Harriett bought the property to develop a Christian Family Camp. A physical camp is not there but his beliefs live on.
Upon retirement Ed and Harriett moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where they had purchased property some years before. For the next 20 years, they developed and sold parts of their property for summer homes. They also gardened and grew Christmas trees until moving to Alaska in 2005 to be closer to family.
Ed is fondly remembered and survived by Harriett, his wife of 63 years, three children Allen (Laurie) Saunders of Stanwood, Wa., Katie (Peter) Haeussler of Chugiak, Ak and Bill (Gayle) Saunders of Duvall, Wa., 6 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren, his brother Watkins Saunders of Gainesville, Fl, and a wonderful extended family. Edward is predeceased by sisters Catherine and Sophie.
There will be a memorial service this spring in Chugiak, Alaska, and a later burial in White Springs, Florida.