Charles Wayne Saunders, 70, of Austin, Texas, passed away Sunday, May 24, 2009, at Christopher House Hospice, Austin, Texas.
He was born in Sturgis Mich., April 9, 1939, to the late Beatrice Fackler Birdsall.
After graduating from White Pigeon High School, White Pigeon, Mich., where he excelled at sports, he joined the Armed Forces in 1958 and faithfully served his country for 26 years until he retired in 1984. His tours of duty included Viet Nam, Thailand, Guam, and many others around the world.
He is survived by his father and step-mother, Charles and Rosa Saunders, White Pigeon, Mich.; and his five children, Charles Saunders, Pflugerville, Texas; Cindy Jackson, San Antonio, Texas; Brian Saunders, currently deployed in Iraq; Vernon Saunders, Huntsville, Ala.; Katrina Stahl, Stafford, Va.; and his 22 grandchildren. He is also survived by his ex-wife and friend Nancy Vogel, San Antonio, Texas, and his siblings, Timothy Saunders, Danny Saunders, and Tami Salisbury, all of White Pigeon, Mich.; and Janet Enders, Pottsville, Pa.
Funeral services with military honors will be held at 11:45 Friday, June 5, at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the www.strokeassociation.org