Leon Z. Saunders, DVM., Ph.D., Dr. Med. Vet., D. Sc., age 89 years of age, passed from this life peacefully on Wednesday March 4, 2009 surrounded by his family. Our dear husband, father, grandfather and father-in-law had been lovingly and attentively cared for by the staff of Brighton Gardens in Brentwood, Tennessee for the past 1.5 years. He left us with wonderful memories of happy times shared. He will be forever in our hearts.

A native of Winnipeg, Canada, Dr. Saunders was educated at Wesley College there and the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, from which he graduated in 1943 with his DVM. Between 1943 and 1945, he served in the Royal Canadian Artillery as a veterinary officer. Upon demobilization, Saunders went in 1946 to Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa in the United States to pursue postgraduate work, earning his masters degree in Veterinary Bacteriology in 1946, and where he stayed on the staff until 1948. Then in 1948, Saunders moved to Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, in Ithaca, New York, to concentrate on neuropathology, receiving his PhD in pathology in 1951.

After completing training in pathology and passing the first certifying examination given by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, Saunders went in 1951 to the Army Chemical Center in Edgewood, Maryland as a civilian pathologist, and the following year to Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, NY. After over 6 years at Brookhaven, Saunders moved to Philadelphia in 1958 to become Head of Pathology & Toxicology for Smith Kline & French Laboratories. Saunders went on to stay at SmithKline for decades, through most of its mergers, ending in Saunders' eventual retirement in 1990 from SmithKine Beecham. Beginning during his time at SK&F, Saunders served once again as Veterinary Officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, assigned to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C., and served on its Scientific Advisory Board from 1985-1991.

Leon Saunders' scholarship extends well beyond interests of traditional academic pathology, as he was an historian and all-around scholar as well. He published more than 90 articles and 6 books. He nurtured a special interest in the history of veterinary pathology as well, and published 2 well-known books on this topic, leading to Saunders' honorary election in to the American Osler Society. He co-founded the international journal Veterinary Pathology, the premier journal in its field, for which he served as managing editor for 25 years. He served as President of the World Federation of Veterinary Pathologists and of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

Leon Saunders established and nurtured a plethora of academic collaborations all around the world, which functioned symbiotically and brought Saunders much joy. Many of these colleagues and friends continued to correspond with Saunders until very recently. He was bilingual in speaking (English/German), but multilingual in scientific reading and writing. He was well known for his eloquent speech and writing. Dr. Saunders had been honored many time and in many parts of the world. Some of these honors include two honorary doctoral degrees for his scientific accomplishments, one from the University of Vienna in 1968, and another in 1993 from his alma matter, the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada. The University of Munich bestowed the prestigious Theodor Kitt medal to Saunders in 1982. He was also awarded the distinguished Centennial medal by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (at which he was an adjunct Professor since 1958) in 1984. Due to his life-long promotion of the history of veterinary pathology in North American, Saunders was awarded the Lifetime Achievement commendation by the American Veterinary Medical History Society in 2000. To quote the former Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Dean Marshak, "[Leon Saunders'] piercing intelligence - logical, demanding, precise - his rock-hard integrity, his qualities of courage, loyalty and compassion, combine to make him a tremendous force of a man".

An avid equestrian, Leon enjoyed horseback riding as well as polo. During his tenure at Cornell, he actively participated on the polo team there. He also enjoyed snow skiing with his family, which he did all around the world including such places as Canada and Switzerland. Leon was very much a family man, and his wife and daughter treasured their time together. In October of 2007, he moved to Nashville, TN, into an assisted living facility where he could be taken care of professionally. There he enjoyed regular visits from his daughter and grandchildren, as well as special visits from his beloved wife Marliese from Philadelphia.

He is sadly missed and survived by his wife, Marliese; daughter Christine (Aurelio Galli) Saunders; grandchildren, Greta and Erika; and by his brother Al (Phyllis) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, sister Leikie (Yitz), of Richmond Hill, Ontario, and sister-in-law Diana (wife of the late Harry) of Los Angeles, California.

Services and interment will be private for the family. Because of Dr. Saunders' life-long dedication to the pursuit of academic knowledge and excellence as well as his passionate support for the field of veterinary science, the family would humbly embrace memorial donations being made to Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, NY in the name of The Dr. Leon Z. Saunders Ph.D., class of 1951, memorial scholarship fund at the following address: Office of Alumni Affairs and Development, Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Box 39, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401.