Patricia Diane Saunders

She is survived by her husband, Ron Saunders of Gaithersburg, MD, and one sister, Nancy C. Messer of Kansas City, Mo. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Valmour Messer, and one brother, Dan Joel Messer.After graduation from high school in Oklahoma City, Pat attended the University of Oklahoma where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. She later earned a master’s degree in mathematics at Oklahoma State University. It was at Oklahoma State that she met her husband, Ron, who was a fellow graduate student in mathematics.

After graduation, Pat worked with Hallmark in Kansas City. She and Ron were married Aug. 3, 1969, and moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she joined Ohio State University as a statistician doing data analysis for academic research projects. Ron worked at the Ohio State computer center while completing a master’s in computer science.

Pat and Ron moved to the Washington, D.C. area when he accepted a job with IBM in Gaithersburg, MD. Pat worked for Westat, a statistical and data analysis firm serving commercial and government entities. Subsequently, Pat joined the United States Department of Agriculture food quality, safety, and inspection service as a Statistician, from which she retired.Pat and Ron very much enjoyed the cultural environment of the Washington DC area as well as the many great restaurants. They vacationed at many of the beaches along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Both avid travelers, they visited many of the large U.S. cities; They also went on several Caribbean cruises and multiple trips to Hawaii.

In 2021 it became clear that Pat had early signs of dementia. So, they moved into the independent living section of ASBURY Methodist Village. Unfortunately, Pat’s condition worsened over time.

Pat passed away on December 20, 2023. She will be very much missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her sister Nancy and her husband. She was a wonderful intelligent, loving, and caring person.