TUSCALOOSA - Ray Thomas Saunders, Sr., age 89, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., died March 17, 2018. Memorial Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, April 7, 2018, at Heritage Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Tim Trussell-Smith officiating. Inurnment will take place 1 p.m. Friday, April 6, 2018 in Alabama National Cemetery, Montevallo, Ala. with Heritage Chapel Funeral Home & Cremations, a Dignity Memorial Provider, directing. Visitation will be Saturday one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Naida Gibson Saunders; parents, Walter Lawrence Saunders, Minnie Hammersly Tibbs Saunders; brothers, Paul Saunders, Ralph Scott Saunders, Lawrence Nelson Saunders, Walter Goodwin Saunders, William Warwick Saunders and Andrew Maurice Saunders; and sisters, Jessie Edwin Saunders Fisher and Eleanor Faith Saunders.
Survivors include his daughters, Kimber Leigh Saunders McCoy of Moundville, Ala. and Dana Lynne Saunders Peele of Charlotte, N.C.; son, Ray Thomas Saunders, Jr. of Wilsonville, Ala.; sister, Juanita Hope Saunders of Roanoke, Va.; brothers, Hiram Fitzpatrick Saunders of Memphis, Tenn.; grandchildren, Ray Thomas Saunders III of Columbus, Ga., Christie Michelle Saunders of Wilsonville, Ala., Amber Nicole McCoy, Mikaela Ann McCoy, John Thomas McCoy of Tuscaloosa, Ala., Ryland Saunders Peele of Sandy Springs, Ga., Morgan Alexandria Peele, Hallie Addison Peele of Charlotte, N.C.; and great-grandsons, Thomas Blair Saunders and Cannon Bryant Saunders.
Ray T. Saunders, Sr. was born in Roanoke, Va. on September 28, 1928. After serving in the Navy from 1946-1948, he graduated from Jefferson High School in Roanoke, Va. On September 22, 1950, he married Naida Lee Gibson in Roanoke. His jobs took them to Memphis, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala. and Tuscaloosa, Ala. where he remained the rest of his life. He worked as a professional engineer with US Steel, Cain Steel, Almond and Associates and Sentell Engineering until his retirement. He was married to Naida for 62 years until she passed away in 2012. They raised three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Ray was a devout father and grandfather and loved his family dearly.
Honorary pallbearers are Ray Thomas Saunders III, Ryland Saunders Peele and John Thomas McCoy.
Condolences may be offered at www.heritagechapeltuscaloosa.com
