GLENN SAUNDERS (Age 93) Of Singer Island, FL and Leesburg, VA (formerly of Reston), a Civil Engineer who was responsible for the planning, development and construction of the planned community of Reston, VA, left this world surrounded by his family at his home on Singer Island, FL on April 1, 2021.
Glenn William Saunders, Jr. was born in Hopewell, VA to Glenn W. and Beulah (Smith) Saunders on October 24, 1927. He was a 1944 graduate of Hopewell High School and became the first member of his family to attend college when he entered the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) as a member of the Corps of Cadets at age 16. He graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1948 and upon passing the Professional Engineer’s exam he became the youngest Engineer in Virginia at that time.
In 1948 he was commissioned into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a Second Lieutenant, later being promoted to Captain, and assigned to post World War II Germany where he headed up an Engineering Section responsible for rebuilding infrastructure that had been destroyed in the war.
Upon returning to the States after his service in Germany, he became reacquainted with and began dating Betty Jane Justice whom he had first known as the daughter of his former Scout Leader, Philip Justice, in his hometown of Hopewell. They were married on September 23, 1950 and celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2020.
In late 1950, Glenn was called back into the Army in the Korean War where he was assigned to a division responsible for building roads and bridges, demolition and mine removal.
Upon returning to the U.S. in 1952, he returned to work as an Engineer in the City of Alexandria, Virginia’s Public Works Department and was soon thereafter promoted as Chief of the Alexandria Highway Department.
In 1956 Glenn was hired as Town Engineer of the Town of Fairfax, VA and the next year he was appointed Town Manager
In 1961 Glenn was hired by Robert E. Simon, a New York City investor, who had invested his proceeds from the sale of Carnegie Hall into 6,750 acres in northwest Fairfax County on land previously owned by the Smith Bowman Distillery with a vision to build a new, planned community. He was the second employee hired by Simon as Vice President of Planning, Engineering and Construction. As a Civil Engineer, Glenn was intrigued by this opportunity to plan, design and build a new city from scratch.
In 1967, Gulf Oil Corporation took over full operational control and financial responsibility of the development and formed a subsidiary Gulf Reston, Inc. and Glenn was appointed Executive Vice President. In 1971, with Reston enjoying great success, Gulf formed another subsidiary, Gulf Oil Real Estate Development Company, to advise them on various real estate matters around the world and Glenn was appointed as its Executive Vice President.
In 1977 Glenn decided it was time to use his years of experience and expertise to form his own company, International Real Estate Associates, Ltd., which would develop commercial and residential real estate in Northern Virginia as well as being involved in commercial real estate brokerage, management, consulting and investment.
Glenn was very active in the Northern Virginia community and involved in many professional organizations and businesses including:
- Member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Fairfax and Reston
- Member and Past President of the Toastmasters Club of Fairfax
- Past President of the Northern Virginia Society of Professional Engineers
- Past President of the Northern Virginia Builders Association
- Board Member of Arlington Trust & First American Bank of Virginia
- Founding Stockholder and Board Member of EZ Communications, Inc.
A man of faith, Glenn was an active member and served at several Baptist Churches in Northern Virginia. Upon moving to Florida, he became a member of the First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach, FL and attended Reston Bible Church when in Virginia.
In his leisure time Glenn enjoyed playing golf and was a charter member of Reston Golf & Country Club (now Hidden Creek C.C.) for many years where he once scored a hole-in-one. He also enjoyed traveling with BJ, family gatherings and was an avid fan of his beloved Virginia Tech Hokies, Redskins and Nationals. In his retirement he developed an interest in Genealogy and became a member of The Jamestowne Society as a descendent of Captain Thomas Graves, one of the original adventurers of The Virginia Company and early settlers of Jamestowne.
Glenn is survived by his loving wife of 70 years, Betty Jane (Justice) Saunders of Singer Island, FL, his three sons, Glenn William (Bill) Saunders, III and his wife Sue (O’Grady) of St. James, NC, Gary Justice Saunders and his wife Eileen (Gunzelman) of Longboat Key, FL and Mark Philip Saunders of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, his four grandsons, Matthew (and wife Haleigh), Tyler, Austin and Travis, and one great grandson, Samuel Saunders, along with numerous nephews and nieces..
He was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn W. Saunders and Beulah (Smith) Saunders and his four siblings, Christine (Saunders) Hosea, Maxine (Saunders) Williams, J. Larry Saunders and Charles R. Saunders.
A private, family service was held on April 10th in the chapel of Riverside Memorial Park in Tequesta, FL where he was laid to rest. Memorial donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach, FL (firstpresnpb.org) or the Trustbridge Hospice Foundation (trustbridgefoundation.org).
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