Lawrence Leslie Saunders

Lawrence Leslie Saunders was born to Leslie and Lillian Saunders on December 1, 1933 in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. He died at his home on his avocado ranch in Fallbrook on December 27, 2017.

His father was in the Royal Canadian Air Force and moved the family across Canada. Larry attended schools in Manitoba, Ontario, and British Columbia before migrating with his family to California at the age of 16.

He graduated from Colton High School in 1951. He attended San Bernardino Valley College and received a degree in aeronautical engineering at Cal Aero Technical Institute in Glendale, Calif. in 1954. He started his working career in the engineering department at Hydro-Aire in Burbank (making fuel pumps for airplanes.)

In 1963, he moved to Denver, Colo. where he was a project manager for Power Sources (batteries for naval weapons); as a plant supervisor for Redfield Gunsight and as a general manager of TTD, a subdivision of Otis Elevator Company, he designed and built "horizontal elevators" for Duke University, Tampa Bay Public transport system, Narita Airport in Tokyo, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the Sun City resort in South Africa.

He received a master of business administration degree from the University of Denver in 1980. In 1990, he retired from his managerial position at Otis Headquarters in Connecticut, bought an avocado ranch and moved to Fallbrook.

Larry was a member of the Boots and Slippers square dance club in Fallbrook. He was an active member of the Fallbrook United Methodist Church, sang in the church choir, worked on the grounds and buildings with the "Wednesday Workers," served on committees, and organized many missionary trips to help bring water to a rural farm, a university and a hospital in Kenya.

At the time of his death, he was a member of Christ the King Lutheran Church, where he served as an usher and also helped on the church grounds, and attended the men's bible study group. He also volunteered at the Fallbrook Food Pantry on a weekly basis.

Larry was married to his "best girl," Alice (Rossiter), on July 31, 1953. In addition to his wife of 64 years, he is survived by his daughter, Susan Wardlow of Coarsegold, Calif.; his son Steven of Fallbrook; his son David (April) of Fallbrook, and his brother, Lloyd of Santa Monica, Calif. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Lyle.

Memorial services will be held for Larry at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Fallbrook on Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 11 a.m.