Lawrence K. "Larry" Saunders, a computer engineer and member of Brown Memorial Woodbrook Presbyterian Church where he performed with the Woodbrook Players, died Nov. 21 at Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital of a cerebral hemorrhage.
The longtime Govans resident was 72.
The son of Kenneth Miller Saunders, a DuPont Corp. metallurgical engineer, and Catherine Ocheltree Saunders, an artist and teacher, Lawrence Kenneth Saunders was born in Decatur, Ill.
He spent his early years in Morgantown, W.Va., Warren, Pa., and Elsmere, Del., before moving with his family to a farm in Elkton, where they raised cattle, stabled race horses and maintained an apple orchard.
"Larry delighted in exploring the countryside and in the room above the garage that was set aside for his many hobbies and interests," said his wife of 47 and a half years, the former Susan Nichol, a clinical social worker.
A 1960 graduate of Elkton High School, Mr. Saunders earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University. He earned a master's degree in computer science from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
During his Hopkins years, Mr. Saunders fell under the influence of the Rev. Dr. Chester Wickwire, the legendary chaplain, poet, and civil rights activist, and participated in his tutoring project.
He began his career at Bethlehem Steel Corp.'s Sparrows Point plant, where he worked on many innovative processes, some of which included designing the computer system for the basic oxygen furnace.
Mr. Saunders was also the lead control engineer in the development of other plant facilities.
"Larry was one of the few who could troubleshoot the problems of a new generation of solid state control systems," said Cal Keeney, a former Bethlehem colleague. "He was always even-tempered and never lost his cool under pressure, and was admired by all."
In 1986, Mr. Saunders went to work in Washington for Digital Equipment Corp. He also taught and wrote curriculum for companies such as Project Masters, which provides project management support and training.
After leaving Digital Equipment Corp. in 2007, Mr. Saunders went to work as a consultant with Nete Solutions at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health in Washington.
Mr. Saunders was still working part-time for Nete Solutions at his death.
"Larry was an expert in his field, specializing in enterprise architecture and business process improvement," said Tommy Fadoul, a Nete Solutions colleague.
"He was dedicated and passionate about his work, devoting much of his time to mentor teammates and teach others," said Mr. Fadoul. "He brought out the best in others, and was a caring friend and an inspiration to his colleagues."
Mr. Saunders met his future wife on a blind date with another couple in 1966.
"When his friend's car stalled in a snowy parking lot, Larry fixed it," said Ms. Saunders, who married her husband the next year.
"His competence, kindness, humor, intelligence and beauty won my heart," she said. "He could fix anything. He was totally unflappable."
Since 1986, Mr. Saunders and his wife have been a Leader Couple for Better Marriages, offering workshops and retreats on topics related to couple and family life. He was also active with Horizons, a men's group at Well for the Journey, an organization that nurtures spiritual growth and development.
During his college years, he was part of the stage crew at Hopkins for concerts that featured Joan Baez, Ravi Shankar and Lucy Simon and Carly Simon, who performed as the Simon Sisters.
At Brown Memorial Woodbrook Presbyterian Church where he had been a member since 1967 and an elder, he participated in The Woodbrook Players, a theatrical troupe that grew out of the congregation.
Earlier this spring, Mr. Saunders played the ragpicker in Jean Giraudoux's "Madwoman of Chaillot," playing opposite his wife, who handled the role of Constance, the Madwoman of Passy.
At the time of his death, he was managing the light and sound for six performances of "Man of La Mancha."
"Larry spearheaded and contributed to many of the technical and aesthetic enhancements to Fellowship Hall. … When he wasn't on stage or behind the sound board, you could find him on a ladder taking scene shots or publicity shots for an upcoming production," said a memorial tribute to Mr. Saunders inside the show's program.
Mr. Saunders enjoyed seeing his home-schooled grandchildren weekly when he conducted a course, "Science with Grandpa."
"Larry was the sort of sweet, gentle, dryly funny guy who made you want to be a better person just by being himself, like the way someone with great posture makes you stand up straighter," wrote Lee Gardner, a Govans neighbor, in a note to Ms. Saunders. "Everyone who knew him loved him. We'll miss him a lot."
A memorial service for Mr. Saunders will be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 3 at his church, 6200 N. Charles St.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Saunders is survived by two sons, Lt. Col. David Saunders of Bangkok, and Stephen Saunders of White Hall; a brother, C. Daniel Saunders of Chestertown; a sister, Catherine S. Weber of Annapolis; and three grandchildren.