Shelton Steven Saunders

Shelton Steven Saunders, age 85 of East Orange, NJ, passed away April 16, 2015. He was born in Princes Town, Trinidad to Abel and Adrianna Saunders. In Trinidad, he attended Fifth Company Baptist School and Naparima Boys College. Upon graduating, he began a teaching career. In 1954, he travelled to London, England to pursue a business degree at the London Polytechnic. In 1956, on a chance meeting at the West Indian Student Center in London, he met Ashbelle Victoria Maloney who he married two years later. Their marriage produced four children. In 1972, Shelton and Ashbelle moved their family to Kingston, Jamaica where he worked as an auditor for the Jamaican government. The Saunders family became residents of the United States in November of 1979. In 1980, he began working for the State of New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities in Newark. After twenty eight years there, he retired as an Administrative Analyst. Shelton is survived by his beloved wife, Ashbelle Victoria Saunders (nee Maloney), their four children: Carol Ann Sonia Saunders-Corbin with her husband Kenneth, Steven Anthony Michael Saunders with his wife Lisa Mary, Jacqueline Kay Beverley Saunders, Yvonne Fay Valerie Saunders, two sisters Beryl Saunders and Muriel Saunders-Sampson, and seven grandchildren: Michelle Renee Saunders, Grace Noel Saunders, Michael Andrew Saunders, Christopher Steven Saunders, David Anthony Saunders, Cierra Ashley Corbin and Jaden Steven White. Shelton is predeceased by his parents, Abel Zachariah Saunders and Adrianna Dean Saunders (nee Ransome), and four brothers: Jeremiah McDonald Saunders, Sylvester Saunders, Cyril Saunders and Cecil Saunders. Shelton was a devoted husband and father who loved being surrounded by family, going for walks with his wife Ashbelle, gardening, singing hymns and old calypso songs, traveling abroad, discussing politics, current events and history, and watching sports and western movies. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 1, 2015 from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM at the Van Tassel Funeral Home, 337 Belleville Ave, Bloomfield, NJ. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2015 from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM at Christ Episcopal Church, 74 Park Ave, Glen Ridge, NJ. The interment will be at Rosedale Cemetery, 409 Orange Rd, Montclair, NJ followed by the repast at 12:30 PM in the Church Hall of Christ Episcopal Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Christ Episcopal Church in memory of Shelton Steven Saunders.

Shelton Steven Saunders

April 12, 1930 - April 16, 2015