[Nfbwv-talk] Buck Saunders Has Died at 75

[Ed McDonald]

I am saddened to report the death of long-time West Virginia Federationist 
Buck Saunders. He died late Tuesday night at the age of 75 following a brief 
illness. A memorial service is planned for tomorrow (Thursday) evening at 
Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church in Huntington, WV.

I am sure a number of you around the country know Buck and his wife, Mary 
Ann. They have been members for more than four decades and have attended 
several national conventions over the years. In addition to their 
involvement at the state and local levels, they have been part of several 
national divisions, including NAPUB, the Senior Blind division, and the NFB 
in Communities of Faith.

Buck was the kind of loyal and steadfast Federationist who keeps our 
movement strong at the grassroots. He understood and believed in the 
principles on which our movement is built. He was not discouraged by the ups 
and downs of trying to keep a small chapter alive in a rural state. At the 
same time, he brought insight and imagination to our affiliate during many 
years on the board of directors. Buck was "thinking outside the box" before 
that popular phrase had been thought of.

In 2010 we inducted both Buck and Mary Ann into our affiliate's Hall of 
Honor--the highest honor we can bestow on a member. Although it is a bit 
long, for those who knew him and who may wish to take the time to read it, I 
am pasting below the profile of Buck and Mary Ann that was written at the 
time of their induction.

He was a dear colleague and an even dearer friend, and I will miss him.

Peace,

Ed


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NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF WEST VIRGINIA



INDUCTION INTO HALL OF HONOR



Willis G.  "Buck" Saunders and Mary Ann Saunders.



Saturday, September 11, 2010

Wheeling, WV





If one were to write the life story of Buck and Mary Ann Saunders, it would 
be a story of drama, devotion and determination; courage and commitment, 
humility and humor, not to mention those three great biblical 
virtues--faith, hope and love.  Running throughout the story would be the 
constant motif of blindness and involvement in the National Federation of 
the Blind.  This small part of the story focuses on that "Federation motif."



As Federationists for four decades, Buck and Mary Ann Saunders affirm the 
familiar adage about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. 
Their skills and talents complement each other, and the spirit of one gives 
strength and assurance to the other.  It is safe to say that their efforts 
on behalf of security, equality, and opportunity have made a greater and 
more lasting contribution to the lives of blind West Virginians than either 
of them might have achieved alone.



Willis Gene Saunders was born September 13, 1937, in Huntington, WV.  As a 
young boy attending the West Virginia School for the Blind in Romney, his 
imagination was forever captivated by the drama of science fiction heroes, 
gangsters, villains, detectives and crime solvers that he heard on the 
radio.  Fascinated by the heroic adventures of Buck Rogers, he took on the 
moniker that has stayed with him throughout his life.  Buck is a 1958 
graduate of the School for the Blind, and in 1971 he earned a degree in 
speech and psychology from Marshall University.  His early employment 
included jobs as a clerk typist with the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare 
and as a police and fire dispatcher in Cabell County.



Mary Ann Collins was born in Brownsville, PA, October 19, 1940.  Her 
father's profession as a welder led to frequent moves for the family, and as 
a result Mary Ann attended schools for the blind in Pennsylvania, Florida, 
Maryland, and West Virginia.  She graduated in 1961 from the Western 
Pennsylvania School for Blind Children in Pittsburgh.  Four years later she 
earned a degree in English education from Indiana University of 
Pennsylvania, and she, too, worked for a time for the Pennsylvania 
Department of Welfare.



Buck and Mary Ann met while they were students in Romney, but their 
relationship didn't blossom until the mid 1960's.  After a time of 
correspondence that evolved into courtship, they were married April 17, 
1966, in the Tyler County community of Shirley, WV.  Their early years of 
marriage were spent in Pittsburgh, but in 1970 their hearts led them back to 
West Virginia where Buck resumed his education at Marshall.  Their daughter 
Laura was born in October, 1971, and a second daughter Terri was born in 
August, 1974.





Also in 1974 they relocated from Huntington to Point Pleasant when Buck 
landed a social work job at nearby Lakin State Hospital.  Twenty years 
later, they returned to Huntington when Buck took a similar job in the 
recreation department at what is now the Mildred Mitchell Bateman Hospital. 
He retired in 1998, and they continue to make their home in Huntington.



Meanwhile, after their first child was born, Mary Ann chose to be a 
full-time mother and homemaker.  Eventually, though, she worked several 
part-time jobs including that of proofreader for the Braille production 
project at Huttonsville Correctional Center.



In addition to work and family, Buck and Mary Ann have always found ways to 
serve their church and their community, and for the past four decades the 
National Federation of the Blind has led the list of their community 
involvements.  Buck was first attracted to the Federation during the late 
1950's and became an avid reader of the BRAILLE MONITOR.  Early on, he 
wanted to be part of an organization which--as he put it, "wasn't afraid to 
stand up on its hind feet and say enough is enough."



Mary Ann discovered the Movement some years later, and they attended their 
first convention of the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia in 
Morgantown in 1969.  Dr. Kenneth Jernigan was the national representative, 
and his message and charisma persuaded Mary Ann that the NFB really had 
something worthwhile to offer.



Soon after returning to West Virginia in 1970, they joined the Huntington 
chapter, known in those days as the Huntington Lighthouse Club.  Long-time 
Federationist Sid Allen was an important influence on their growth in the 
Movement.  Buck even became chapter president for a couple years before 
moving to Point Pleasant.



Under the leadership of affiliate president Dick Porter, they became 
increasingly involved in Federation affairs at the state level.  In 1980 
Buck was elected to represent the Huntington chapter on the state Board of 
Directors, and he held that position for some 20 years.  Their first NFB 
national convention was in Baltimore in 1981.



In 1982--despite living an hour away in Point Pleasant-- Mary Ann was 
elected president of the Huntington chapter.  Except for two years during 
which Buck held the office, she has continued to lead the chapter to the 
present.  Over the years she has also served at the state level as chairman 
of the scholarship committee, as second vice-president, and for one term 
each as first vice-president and secretary.



When the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia established 
NFB-Newsline--the telephone based news and information service--in the 
state, Mary Ann became its coordinator.  The job included recruiting and 
assisting new subscribers as well as monitoring and troubleshooting the 
daily operation.



At the national level, they have been involved in the NFB Writers' Division, 
Human Services Division, Senior Blind Division, and the National Federation 
of the Blind in Communities of Faith.



But a list of dates, elective offices, committee assignments, and other such 
facts doesn't tell the whole story of the Saunders' commitment to the 
Federation.  For example, while living in Point Pleasant, they were the only 
active blind people in town, and so they became the faces of independent 
blind people and the voices of Federationism for the whole community. 
Despite organizational competition within Huntington's blind community, they 
have kept the Huntington Area Chapter alive, active, growing, and grounded 
in a philosophy of independence and self reliance.  They have taken on jobs 
as diverse as raising funds through the sale of raffle tickets and Yearbook 
advertising, helping frustrated individuals to find their local papers on 
Newsline; mailing scholarship forms to prospective applicants throughout the 
state; and organizing a technology seminar for blind people in the 
community.  They have introduced Federation ideas in their church and have 
articulated the concerns of blind persons as members of a mayor's committee 
on disabilities.  The NFB gave them the practical and emotional tools to be 
successful blind parents, and they are proud that their two daughters are 
now adults with jobs and families of their own.



A deep and thorough understanding of Federation philosophy has given them 
the strength and courage to be more confident and assertive in all aspects 
of their lives.  Mary Ann even characterizes their Federationism as an 
uplifting source of spiritual community and strength.  Recognizing the 
experiences and even some of the mistakes in their own lives, they are 
motivated to keep working to make life better for generations of blind 
persons to come.  And so, as they approach four decades of involvement in 
the Federation, Buck and Mary Ann show no signs of curtailing their 
involvement and commitment.



Thus, we in the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia are 
pleased and proud to induct Buck and Mary Ann Saunders into the Hall of 
Honor.  To borrow a phrase that is often shared with members of the 
Movement: We call you our colleagues with respect; we call you our friends 
with love.