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In Memoriam: David R. Saunders, MD (1933-2008)
It is with great sadness that I share with you the news that our dear friend
and member of theGI Division, Dr. David Saunders, passed away January 22 at his home surrounded by his immediate family.
After obtaining his undergraduate education from Princeton University (AB, 1953) and medical education from McGill University (MD, 1957),
Dr. Saunders continued on at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal as an intern, resident, chief resident, and gastroenterology fellow (1957-1964), with an intervening research fellowship at the Royal Free Hospital in London (1960-1962). In 1964, he came to the University of Washington to be a research fellow with Dr. Cyrus Rubin in the Division of Gastroenterology, headed then by Dr. Wade Volwiler. Over the years, Dr. Saunders rose through the ranks to be Professor of Medicine and then Head of the Division from 1981 until his retirement in 1995. Dr. Saunders received many distinctions for his research on intestinal absorptive physiology but, for him, his dearest professional achievement was the title of UW School of Medicine Teacher Superior in Perpetuity, for his legendary contribution to the Gut Course (HuBio 551), which he organized and taught for 33 years, even following his retirement.
In the first page of the Gut Course Syllabus, Dr. Saunders included a quote from Wislawa Szymborska's 1996 Nobel lecture: "Inspiration is not the exclusive privilege of poets or artists generally. There is, has been, and will always be a certain group of people whom inspiration visits. It's made up of all those who've consciously chosen their calling and do their job with love and imagination... Their work becomes one continuous adventure as long as they manage to keep discovering new challenges in it." Inspired and inspiring was the life Dr. Saunders led, and we will always remember him for his humanism, caring, vibrancy, generosity, humor, enthusiasm, and erudition. We are all certainly privileged to have known him.
GI Division Tribute to David R. Saunders, MD: March 7, 2008
The GI Division will pay a special tribute to the life and career of Dr. David Saunders on Friday, March 7th. UW faculty and friends are invited to speak briefly on Dr. Saunders’ many tremendous contributions to the UW School of Medicine and to the GI Division, including the impact he has had on the Gut Course, his colleagues, his trainees, and any other aspects of his career. If you wish to speak at the tribute, please contact me via email at t1nguyen@u.washington.edu or leave a voice message at (206) 277-1485. The tribute will be held in the Foege Genome Sciences Building between 8:15AM and 9:00AM in the Foege Auditorium (Room S-060).
David R. Saunders Endowed Lectureship in Gastroenterology
I am also pleased to announce that we are working toward establishing the
David R. Saunders Endowed Lectureship in Gastroenterology fund, which will be used to honor his passion for teaching and deep commitment to the
Gut Course (HuBio 551). If you would like to make a contribution to this fund, please make a check payable to the University of Washington Foundation, note “Dr. David R. Saunders” in the memo line of the check and/or in a letter, and mail to the contact listed below. You may also make a contribution online. With your help, Dr. Saunders' legacy of outstanding teaching will continue to inspire both teachers and students for many generations to come.
Sincerely,
Toan D. Nguyen, MD
Professor of Medicine
Acting Head
Division of Gastroenterology
More Links:
The Saunders' Family Website
David Saunders: Doctor, Poet, Musician and Lover of Nature (Seattle Times)
David Saunders: 1933-2008 (University Week)
UWGI Division Contact:
To mail your gift and/or for more information, please contact:
Carrie Silverman
University of Washington
Division of Gastroenterology
1959 NE Pacific Street | Box 356424
Seattle, WA 98195-6424
P: (206) 235-3223 | F: (206) 764-2147
carries@medicine.washington.edu