Whether he was ministering to GIs fighting on the battlefields of Vietnam or to a retired steelworker in a hospital, the Rev. Raymond Saunders was known for his kindness and compassion.
As a chaplain assistant in Vietnam in 1967-68, Rev. Saunders would hold Bible studies and counsel and encourage young men -- many of them teenagers -- before they went into battle, said his son, Jesse Saunders of Baldwin Borough.
"And Dad would try to inspire them for what they had accomplished and hopefully prepare them for their return to civilian life," he said.
The Rev. Raymond W. Saunders of Munhall died of cancer on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in his home. He was 64.
Upon his discharge from the military in 1969, Rev. Saunders enrolled in the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Highland Park and in 1973 was ordained a Presbyterian minister.
Born in Homestead and raised in West Mifflin, Rev. Saunders was one of four children of steelworker James Saunders and his wife, Olive Kelly Saunders.
Upon graduating from West Mifflin High School in 1962, he attended Penn State University, where he became involved with Young Life.
He gained experience volunteering in the summer camps of Young Life, an organization geared to helping young people develop skills, assets and attitudes to reach their God-given potential.
While serving in Vietnam, Rev. Saunders met Rita "Tosh" Geraci, a New Jersey resident who was stationed in Vietnam with the American Red Cross. They were married in 1968.
Mrs. Saunders is a nurse at the Veterans Affairs hospital in O'Hara.
Rev. Saunders devoted his ministry to the work of Young Life and was area director of Steel Valley Young Life since 1969.
Among his numerous awards and commendations was his induction into the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation Youth Ministry Hall of Fame.
"People trusted my father," Jesse Saunders said. "He was the kind of person who cared about others and not about himself."
In addition to his wife and son, Rev. Saunders is survived by his daughter, Kelly Elizabeth Saunders-Gonzalez of Churchill; two grandchildren; and his siblings, Iris Jean Watkins of Washington, Washington County; Janis Edwards of Munhall; and James Saunders of McMurray.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. today in Homestead United Presbyterian Church, 908 Ann St., Homestead.
Arrangements are being handled by Savolskis-Wasik-Glenn Funeral Home Inc. in Munhall.
By Jerry VondasTRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
