Obituary of Walter Albert Saunders

Walter Saunders of Great Falls, VA, passed away on July 12, 2016 after a long battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Walter was born on July 23, 1932 in Washington DC, the first of eleven children born to the late Walter A. Saunders Sr. and Mary Turvey Saunders. Walter grew up in Arlington, VA, attended Washington and Lee High School and served in the US Navy during the Korean War. He was in business with his brother Richard beginning in 1965 at Airway Sheet Metal Company. He was a lifelong Washington Redskins fan that began attending games at Griffith Stadium in the 1950s. Walter supported his children enthusiastically and was a devoted Pony Club dad that ran many concession stands and cooked hundreds of pancakes for Pony Club summer camp breakfasts . He was a gifted story teller that entertained his listeners with his stories of WWII victory gardens and his many adventures with his brothers, sisters, and friends. He was a jack of many trades that was able to fix nearly everything. He loved hosting holiday parties and picnics for his large extended family, and the audiences it generated for his stories. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Nancy Saunders of Great Falls, his children, Katharine Stowell and Marc of Great Falls, and Elizabeth Horan of McLean; sons-in-law Donald Stowell and John Horan. He is also survived by his grandchildren Patrick Horan, Christopher Horan, Mathew Horan, Meghan Stowell, and Andrew Stowell; his siblings William, Thomas, Carl, Michael, and James Saunders, Barbara Newlond, Frances James, and Elizabeth Bowers and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brothers Richard and Robert Saunders. Donations may be made in his memory to Pulmonary Fibrosis.org