Jason L. Saunderson, age 97, died on December 22, 2009 at the Parkland Medical Center in Derry, N.H.. He died on his birthday after a short illness, of natural causes. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Millicent Saunderson, and his daughter Christine Haswell of Derry, N.H., his son George Saunderson of Loudon, N.H. and daughter Cynthia Morelli, of London, England. There are, in addition, 5 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
Jason was born in the town of Sioux City, Iowa, to Jason M. Saunderson and Daisy Belle Newcomer Saunderson on December 22, 1912. He attended the Sioux City schools and graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City in 1935, where he was a all conference quarterback on the Morningside football team. He was accepted at the University of Michigan where he graduated with a PhD in Physics in 1939.
Jason worked in the field of spectroscopy at the Dow Chemical Co. in Midland Michigan, The Baird Atomic Co. in Cambridge, Mass., Scope Incorporated of Woburn, Mass. and CDC Corporation of Monrovia, Calif. Jason and Millicent retired to North Shore Rd. in Windham, N.H. He was a member of the American Physical Society and a Fellow Emeritus of the American Optical Society.
Jason's lifelong interests in the early days included photography and archery, hunting and fishing, sailing and woodworking, and towards the end of his life he loved his computer as much as he loved his first Polaroid Land camera. He had a lifelong fascination with technology.
The Peabody Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. There are no calling hours and a private service will be held. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Lukey Fund (Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, care of Linda Currier, 83 Baldhill Road, Newfields, N.H. 03856)