DAVID J. SAUNDERS, JR., HOULTON – David J. Saunders, Jr., finally made it to the great rendezvous in the sky, passing away on February 13, 2018, at the wonderful age of 89. He is survived by his wife of thirty-two years, Sandra E Boyer, and his four children: sons, David J. Saunders III of Biddeford, ME, and Michael R. Saunders (wife Susan) of Cermeno, Panama; and daughters, Andrea Saunders Moore (husband Michael) of Seattle, WA, and Maren E. McGillicuddy of Bangor, ME; as well as a grandson, Arthur A. Moore, of Seattle, WA. He was predeceased by his first wife, Grace C. Coleman, in Houlton in 1983.
David was born in Fort Worth, TX, during the Depression Era which accounted for his “use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without” sense about life. He graduated from The Loomis-Chaffee School in Windsor, CT, in 1946, and spent three years at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, studying Geology before enlisting in the US Army at the White Sands Missile Proving Grounds in New Mexico for the Korean War.
After leaving the Army in the early 1950’s he joined the US Border Patrol in El Paso, TX, and as a federal agent was called upon on one occasion to protect civil rights protestors gathered to hear Martin Luther King’s speech to the Freedom Riders at the First Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL, when mobs threatened to burn the church and its occupants.
He transferred to the US Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1963, and was stationed in Fort Kent, ME, then later at the Houlton port from 1966 to 1983 where he retired. He was an outdoorsman and nature lover all his life, canoeing the Allagash Waterway numerous times, and in his retirement enjoyed monitoring bird returns, keeping vegetable gardens and doing historical reenactments at Kings Landing, NB, Canada, and other US locations with the Meduxnekeag Long Rifles.
He had a great love of history, and was a frequent visitor at the Houlton Public Library doing research on many varied things, including research for his theatrical role as Joseph Houlton in the historical reenactment video made for the 200th anniversary for the town of Houlton, ME.
Many thanks to the Madigan Estates Nursing Home CNAs for their excellent and loving care for him in his last days. He was a treasure to his family and will be truly missed. A small home memorial is planned for later in the summer, and remembrances can be given in his name to the Houlton Humane Society Animal Shelter.
