Obituary of Dorris P. Saunders

Dorris Saunders, sound of mind at age 91, died peacefully in her sleep December 20, 2017 in Palm Bay, FL. Born to Hazel and James Peeler in Ropesville, TX on June 28, 1926, she was raised principally in Levelland, TX with her younger brothers Ken, Nelson and James. She attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where she studied journalism to become a war correspondent. Planning to finish her degree later, she married 1st Lieutenant Ralph S. Saunders at Aloe Field, Victoria, TX in June 1945. They had three children, Ralph Scott, Jr., Larry and Jan. Dorris was truly an asset to her husband’s highly successful career during her 34 years as an Air Force Officer’s wife. One of her most rewarding achievements was when she spearheaded a tutoring and mentoring program of the Dover AFB Officers Wives Club. It emphasized preschool literacy and expanded to include two subsidized housing areas in Delaware. At the request of parents it also offered them classes in resource management, nutrition, cooking and adult literacy. It later received a presidential award. Dorris moved her family over 40 times as they were assigned to Texas, Japan, Tennessee, France, Maryland, Okinawa, Delaware, Illinois, California and back to Illinois. Each time Dorris reassembled all belongings to forge yet another lovely home. She was an accomplished seamstress, upholsterer, and decorator. She contributed to the family income during Ralph’s military years as a substitute teacher, model, modeling instructor, fashion coordinator, and charm school instructor for friends’ teenagers. A devoted mother to her three children, Dorris was active in the PTA, the Kubasaki HS Scholarship Board, and Scouts. Music was important to her, from serving in choirs from early on until late in life, to participating in Officers Wives Club theater musical productions. Some of the best years of Ralph and Dorris´s lives were spent back in her home state of Texas, in San Antonio, where they lived for 23 years after Ralph’s retirement as a Major General from the Air Force in 1979. He had commanded the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service. They joined many former military friends there. Dorris volunteered at the Texas Institute of Cultures in their school outreach program, the McNay Museum of Art, the Wilford Hall Medical Center, the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and Windcrest Elementary School. Dorris was active in the Alamo Heights garden club. She developed a micro-business of selling silk flowers. She returned to school at the University of the Incarnate Word, studying interior design and became an interior design consultant at Art Deco with Suzanne Hinger. After her husband’s death in 2002, Dorris moved to Lakewood, Washington, to be close to her son Larry and his family. She spent 15 happy years there, first in a duplex she cleverly remodeled, later at Patriots Landing. After Larry’s death in 2016, she moved to Melbourne to live close to her son Scott and his family in Florida. She celebrated her 90th birthday with almost all of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren present, joining her from Washington, California, Virginia and Argentina. The last months of Dorris’s life were greatly enhanced and heartened by visiting family, new friends, and attendance at Peace Lutheran Church. All who knew her felt Dorris was a very special lady. Many commented on her warm smile and words, loving kindness, heartfelt gratitude and appreciation, her giving spirit, her strength and inner beauty that accompanied her gracious elegance, poise and outer beauty. Dorris is survived by her brother Ken Peeler, her son Scott, his wife Rhonda, her daughter Jan and son-in-law Ramon, her daughter-in-law Sally, and her close cousin, Rosa. She was a well-loved and joyful grandmother and great grandmother, known as Gigi, blessed with 5 grandchildren (Jennifer, Megan, Scott III, Tim, Matt), two grandchildren in-law (Cris, Fran), 10 great grandchildren (Finn, Maddie, Marina, Izzy, Ethan, Catherine, Caroline, Amelia, Adalyn, Greyson) and 3 great grandchildren-in-law (Liam, Alex, Lola). She is predeceased by brothers Nelson, James, husband Ralph, son Larry and daughter in-law Patty. Memorial services will be held on Friday, March 2, 2018 at 9:15 a.m. at Ft. Sam Houston Joint Base Chapel, 5584 Dodd Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78234. Her cremated ashes will be placed with those of her husband Ralph and interred at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetary. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to hospice at Vitas Healthcare at www.vitascommunityconnection.org/community-connection/donate or the Boys and Girls Club of Lakewood, WA at http://www.bgcsps.org/find-a-club/lakewood. Arrangements by Ammen Family Cremation & Funeral Care, Palm Bay, 321-724-2224. Share condolences and memories at Ammen Family Cremation and Funeral Care, www.afcfcare.com.