LINK: Hank Saunders Online Memorial
Obituary
Clifford Henry "Hank" Saunders II
May 23, 1953 - August 19, 2014
There is one new star in the Texas sky as Hank Saunders was called home by his Father on August 19, 2014 at the age of 61 after a valiant battle with cancer. He and his family lived not far from his Houston birthplace, in Missouri City, Texas.Hank was born on May 23, 1953 to Rebecca Aubertin and James Robert Saunders during what his mother would swear was the hottest May on record. He had a pleasant childhood with the constant companionship of his older sister, Patricia St. Germain, and his brother, James Robert Saunders, Jr. He enjoyed relationships with aunts and uncles, untold numbers of cousins, and his grandparents.
Hank met Sandy, the love of his life and his wife of 41 years, quite by accident while they both attended Southwest Texas State University. They both opted for marriage on October 31, 1973 and moved back to Houston, where they started their family. Hank took great pride in his three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren. He always had words of wisdom for them, whether they wanted it or not. He also played a pivotal parental role in the lives of many of his children’s friends. He was the kind of dad who pressed his 6’3” frame into kiddie roller coasters to please them and waited up until they came home, even as adults, to make sure they were safe.
He started work in the oil industry at a young age, and quickly rose to the top of his field. He started and successfully ran more than one seismic company during his lifetime, but he never lost the perspective that it was the people he worked with that made him successful, and he never hesitated to give them credit for making it all work. More than success in business, it is the lifelong friends he made in the industry that made Hank happy with his career.
Even more important to Hank than his career was the great outdoors. He lived for hunting and fishing, and hardly a Saturday night passed that he didn’t find an excuse to have a campfire. He purchased a piece of land dubbed Green Acres that he lived for. In this oasis, he would hunt, bond with friends over a campfire, and teach even his granddaughters how to handle a shotgun. He was also a fisherman, taking many excursions to the lakes and bays to spend time with his brother and friends.
Preparing the way for Hank are his parents, Rebecca Aubertin and James Robert Saunders, his brother, James Saunders, Jr., and numerous aunts, uncles, and grandparents. He is survived by his wife, Sandra Saunders, his sister Patricia St. Germain, and his children and grandchildren: Jo Anne Saunders and Bobby Johnson and their children Alexis and Elizabeth; Lori Saunders and Aaron Dziuk; and Rebecca Saunders. He is also survived by his niece Lisa Saunders Baugh, her husband Simon, and their daughter Holly, and by his nephew Justin Harrison and his wife Trish Glenning Harrison, and by many cousins.
Hank was a proud member of the Sons of the American Revolution as well. He took great pride in his connection to history and his own ancestry.
Hank was a man of honor, integrity, and strength, had a beautiful sense of humor, and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Obituary
Clifford Henry "Hank" Saunders II
May 23, 1953 - August 19, 2014
There is one new star in the Texas sky as Hank Saunders was called home by his Father on August 19, 2014 at the age of 61 after a valiant battle with cancer. He and his family lived not far from his Houston birthplace, in Missouri City, Texas.Hank was born on May 23, 1953 to Rebecca Aubertin and James Robert Saunders during what his mother would swear was the hottest May on record. He had a pleasant childhood with the constant companionship of his older sister, Patricia St. Germain, and his brother, James Robert Saunders, Jr. He enjoyed relationships with aunts and uncles, untold numbers of cousins, and his grandparents.
Hank met Sandy, the love of his life and his wife of 41 years, quite by accident while they both attended Southwest Texas State University. They both opted for marriage on October 31, 1973 and moved back to Houston, where they started their family. Hank took great pride in his three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren. He always had words of wisdom for them, whether they wanted it or not. He also played a pivotal parental role in the lives of many of his children’s friends. He was the kind of dad who pressed his 6’3” frame into kiddie roller coasters to please them and waited up until they came home, even as adults, to make sure they were safe.
He started work in the oil industry at a young age, and quickly rose to the top of his field. He started and successfully ran more than one seismic company during his lifetime, but he never lost the perspective that it was the people he worked with that made him successful, and he never hesitated to give them credit for making it all work. More than success in business, it is the lifelong friends he made in the industry that made Hank happy with his career.
Even more important to Hank than his career was the great outdoors. He lived for hunting and fishing, and hardly a Saturday night passed that he didn’t find an excuse to have a campfire. He purchased a piece of land dubbed Green Acres that he lived for. In this oasis, he would hunt, bond with friends over a campfire, and teach even his granddaughters how to handle a shotgun. He was also a fisherman, taking many excursions to the lakes and bays to spend time with his brother and friends.
Preparing the way for Hank are his parents, Rebecca Aubertin and James Robert Saunders, his brother, James Saunders, Jr., and numerous aunts, uncles, and grandparents. He is survived by his wife, Sandra Saunders, his sister Patricia St. Germain, and his children and grandchildren: Jo Anne Saunders and Bobby Johnson and their children Alexis and Elizabeth; Lori Saunders and Aaron Dziuk; and Rebecca Saunders. He is also survived by his niece Lisa Saunders Baugh, her husband Simon, and their daughter Holly, and by his nephew Justin Harrison and his wife Trish Glenning Harrison, and by many cousins.
Hank was a proud member of the Sons of the American Revolution as well. He took great pride in his connection to history and his own ancestry.
Hank was a man of honor, integrity, and strength, had a beautiful sense of humor, and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
