Willie Joe Saunders' Obituary
In the Cumberland Mountains of West Virginia, Willie Joe Saunders was born in the small town of Kimball on January 7, 1924. He was the only child born to Anna Belle Foy and Willie Joe Saunders, Sr. When Joe was a very young boy, his loving and industrious parents moved the family to Washington, D.C., in pursuit of Joe’s health, better opportunities for education and their employment. Joe, Jr. was educated in the District of Columbia Public Schools and graduated from Armstrong High School in 1941. This was the beginning of his life’s journey that would be filled with longevity of years and rewarding experiences that would take him throughout the world. On June 19, 2023, Joe transitioned to his heavenly home – just six months before his centennial birthday.
Joe wished to be remembered as a “person who loved life.” He lived his life with zest, being adventurous, and balancing his hard work with entertainment and good times. He was diligent about creating a meaningful life that focused on his faith, family and his professional and personal endeavors.
A life-long learner, he understood the advantage of having an education and was a lover of learning, whether in the classroom or for one of his many interests. Joe returned to his native state where he enrolled in West Virginia State College (now University) in Institute, WV; he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1949 as a Graphic Arts major and Education minor. While an undergraduate at WVSC, he was initiated into the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
He later received a Master of Arts degree in Educational Guidance and Counseling from Marshall University in Huntington, WV in 1955. Joe began his professional career during World War II as a printer for the U.S. Army Map Service and Bureau of Engraving and Printing. He would later return to Huntington, WV to become a teacher at Douglass High School. His next career move was to join the faculty of his Alma Mater, West Virginia State College, where he was an Associate Professor of Graphic Arts and a coach of Varsity Swimming. After eight years on the faculty at WVSC, he relocated to the nation’s capital to accept a teaching position at Spingarn High School. He taught Graphic Arts, History, and American Government.
During his tenure as a high school teacher at Spingarn, he developed an interest in Amateur Radio and obtained his Amateur Radio Licenses from the Federal Communications Commission. He organized an Amateur Radio Club at the school, giving his students a new learning experience as well as broadening his horizon to communication with 90% of the countries in the world. Joe retired from teaching in 1979 and became even more active as a Ham Radio Operator. He was a member of the largest Black radio club (OMIK) and was a regular volunteer operator at the Smithsonian Institution’s amateur station. Joe was once featured on ABC’s Good Morning America in a feature on the World of Amateur Radio.
He was a man of many hobbies and talents, which included his passion for water. He loved swimming (Senior Olympian swimmer), boating and sailing and being a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He was a 30-year member of the Auxiliary. Shortly after joining the Auxiliary, he was elected Flotilla Commander (Flotilla 75) and was a member of Flotilla 24/3 (Laurel, MD). He was the owner of numerous boats (both power and sail) throughout his life and enjoyed sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. He enjoyed being a member of the Seafarers Yacht Club of Annapolis, MD and served as Fleet Captain for many years. He enjoyed cruising the Mid-Atlantic seaboard from New Jersey down to the Virginia Tidewater Area.
Joe was also an avid Equestrian manager, working at riding schools in the DC-MD-VA areas where he trained riders, showed prize-winning horses, and managed horse shows. He was an assistant trainer for a two-time Kentucky Derby winner: “Run for the Roses.”
Joe was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Cheverly, MD. He shared his many interests and travels with his family. His favorite past-times included photography, stamp collecting, coin collecting, gardening, hunting, fishing, reading, and entertaining. He traveled with his family and friends throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, Canada, and Mexico.
He was preceded in death by his two wives, Virginia Dickerson and Jeanne Beckley. Jeanne B. was also a member of the Flotilla 75; as she loved boating as much as he.
Family members and friends who remain to cherish his memory include three stepchildren: Daniel Barnes, Donna Duncan, and Calvin Cooke; cousins; devoted friend, Carlin Wiseman; and friend and companion, Charlestine R. Fairley, Ph.D.
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