Burleson -- Mark Edwin Saunders, Jr. left this life and stepped into eternity Wednesday, June 11, 2008, after a brief illness.

Memorial services are 2 p.m. Saturday, June 14, 2008, at the Mayfield Kiser Funeral Home in Burleson. Visitation was 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Mark was born March 7, 1942, in Seymour. He graduated from Tascosa High School in Amarillo and attended Sul Ross State University and Texas Tech University.

He coached high school and college football in Texas for 32 years. Mark's colleagues believed that one of his greatest attributes was the ability to take a football program and turn it around to make it successful. He did this by motivating players to give great effort and by teaching them to believe in themselves. Mark gave 100 percent of himself and expected no less from his coaches and players. Mark retired from Burleson High School in December 1997 as the athletic directer and head football coach.

After retirement, he started his second career as an antique dealer.
He was preceded in death by his father, Mark Saunders, Sr., and his mother, Gweneth Smith Saunders.

Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Sherry Saunders; brother, Joe Saunders and his wife, Kay; sister, Debra Corbin; brother-in-law, Dr. Phil Corbin; nephews, Philip, Patrick, Parker and Price; nieces, Kim, Kris, Kelly and Tiffany and other family members, including Mel Gann, Muriel Snoddy, Melodye Brooks and John Gann.