CLIFFORD BROWN SAUNDERS

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CLIFFORD BROWN SAUNDERS May 20, 1905 - March 31, 2001 Peacefully, on March 31, 2001, Clifford Brown Saunders died at his residence in Winnipeg, Man., at the age of 95 years. He is survived by Helen Francis (Woodward), his wife of 64 years; his son Grant (Janet Anne Rowse) and grandchildren, Allison (Ross Murray) of Ottawa, Ont., and Marilyn (Iain Kirkpatrick), David and Mark, all of Winnipeg. He was predeceased by his parents, William Price Cooper Saunders and Annie Elizabeth (Brown) of Meaford, Ont.; by his siblings, Hilton and Zella who died of tuberculosis in childhood, Dorval who died of wounds received at Vimy Ridge, George Washington of Roseisle, Man., Margaret Mills of Meaford, Ont., and Kathleen Kellough of Owen Sound, Ont., who passed away at the age of 106 years. The various lines of his ancestry are replete with stories from the earliest settlements in America in the 1600s in Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New York, and from participants in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, including the battles of Chippawa Creek and Lundys Lane. Of United Empire Loyalist descent, Clifford was born May 20, 1905 at Meaford, Ont., in an historic home of his ancestors who were among the founding families of Meaford on the Georgian Bay. He spent his early life divided between the residence at Meaford Ont., Carman, Man., where his grandfather had homesteaded in 1886, and Roseisle, Man., where his father was a grain farmer. Clifford left the farm at Roseisle, Man., in 1925 and began working with the Standard Bank, later amalgamated with the Canadian Bank of Commerce and still later amalgamated with the Imperial Bank of Canada. After postings in rural Manitoba at Ashern, Glenella, Kelwood and Eden and in rural Saskatchewan, he spent the majority of his 42 year banking career in Winnipeg at the then Head Office at 389 Main St., where he was the Manager of Bonds and Securities. In addition to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Cliffords interests over the years included: Crescent Fort Rouge United Church and later Westworth United Church, being President of the Mens Club (AOTS) at both institutions, the Assiniboine Lodge which he joined in 1949, serving as Master, and later becoming District Deputy Grand Master, gardening, family history, fishing at the Lake of the Woods in the 1950s and 1960s, lawn bowling and travel during his early retirement years, and particularly his family. He and his wife were fortunate in having many circles of friends, among whom were a remarkable group of bankers who worked together, socialized and played bridge together, curled and golfed together, holidayed together and continued their close friendship through 34 years of retirement, even as time thinned their congenial band. He was a wise and gentle man, supportive of his wife and family, and a friend to his grandchildren. He spoke ill of no man. We will remember him and miss him. A funeral service will be held Thursday, April 5, at 11:00 a.m., in Thomson Funeral Chapels, 669 Broadway with Rev. Clark Saunders officiating. A private family interment will take place at Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens, 4000 Portage Ave., Winnipeg. In lieu of flowers, donations to Westworth United Church Legacy Fund, 1750 Grosvenor Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3N 0H9 would be appreciated by the family. THOMSON FUNERAL CHAPELS 783-7211

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 02, 2001