Robert (Bob) Saunders, 79, of Steilacoom, WA, passed away peacefully at home under hospice care on September 14, 2023 after a surprise, aggressive brain cancer diagnosis 2 months prior.  He was happy, healthy, and active leading up to his diagnosis in July.

Born on September 29, 1943 in Sacramento, CA he was the son of Samuel and Martha (Springle) Saunders, growing up with his elder (18 months) sister Linda.  Bob was a loving father, devoted husband, lover of the outdoors and cultural travel.  He was a dedicated Tibetan Buddhist practitioner for over 40 years and had a curious, adventurous spirit, and strove to be fair and kind to all he crossed paths with.

Bob earned a masters degree in economics from the University of California Berkeley in 1969. He served in the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program in Gary, Indiana after college. He eventually made his way to Olympia, WA in 1974.  He worked for five years as an economic developer with the South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency.  In 1980 he went on to work as an environmental planner for the Washington State Department of Ecology water and air quality programs for the next 30 years, retiring in 2010.

Bob was a pillar of the Sakya Tibetan Buddhist community in Olympia. He was a founding member of the Nalanda Institute, Center for Buddhist Study and Meditation, established in Olympia in 1988, and served as a Board leader for many years. He was instrumental in helping the Nalanda Institute grow from a small group meeting in a living room to a physical dharma meditation center that has hosted world leaders of the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism.

He was a kind and generous father to his sons Caleb and Reed and enjoyed hiking and camping with them. In 2013 Bob met Nancy Houck, his true and lasting love. Together they created a life and home filled with joy, love, laughter and adventure. Bob and Nancy loved the beauty in nature and spent much time walking, hiking, kayaking and exploring the Pacific Northwest and beyond. They took great joy in traveling abroad and spent time in Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, and just three months ago through Belgium and France. Bob was a devoted husband and a beloved presence in the lives of Nancy's grandchildren.

He was an accomplished mountaineer and hiker. Bob was active with the Mountaineers group for a number of years and summited many peaks throughout the Northwest including Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Glacier Peak and Mt. Olympus. He loved backpacking and camping throughout his life, including a number of backpack trips on the north Washington coast in recent years, his latest in 2022.

Bob is survived by his loving wife, Nancy, his sons Caleb Saunders and Reed Saunders, step-daughter Beth Edwards (CJ), step-son Kris Lobdell (Emily), his beloved step-grandchildren, Zoe, Reed, Luke, Ellie and Brody.  He is also survived by and will be greatly missed by his extended Houck family, his sister, Linda, nieces Kristin Schwall and Heidi Wirtz, nephew Steven Wirtz and Shannon Nelson-Deighan (Caleb and Reed's mother).

A memorial service and Buddhist ritual will be held on Friday, September 29, 2023 at 3pm at the Steilacoom Town Hall.  In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the Nalanda Institute, PO Box 11361 Olympia, WA 98508-1361 or Friendly Water for the World (https://friendlywater.org) on Bob's behalf.