OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 25308, 11 June 1935, Page 7

OBITUARY

THE REV. W. SAUNDERS LONG SERVICE IN MINISTRY BRIEF ILLNESS The death took place on Saturday evening of the Rev. William Saunders at the residence of his son, Dr Douglas Saunders, of Eltham. Mr Saunders had been a resident of Dunedin for 45 years, and for 38 years he was minister of the Congregational Church, Moray Place. He had recently gone north to spend the winter months with his son, and he passed away after a brief illness, states the Otago Daily Times. , Mr Saunders was born at Pembroke, Wales, in 1857, and educated at Hackney College, London. He was ordained a minister in 1884 and until 1890 he worked in the East End of London. He then came to New Zealand, and on May 13 of that year he became minister’of the Moray Place Church. His sympathy with those in unfortunate circumstances, which had been developed by his London work, manifested itself in Dunedin and, about 40 years ago, he was a member of that group or Christian gentlemen, including Dr Rutherford Waddell, Sir Feorge Fenwick, and Dr Gibb, which investigated social conditions in the poorer parts of this city. He was a broad-minded man and his activities extended over many phases. He was a member of the Presbyterian Social Service Association and was chairman of the Ross Home Committee. He was a vice-president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and was associated with both these organizations for many years. He was also a member of the Dunedin Crematorium Society. With Dr Gibb he was largely responsible for the organization of the Council or Churches, now called the Council of Christian Congregations. In his own church he had attained the high honour of being elected chairman of the Congregational Union of New Zealand on four occasions. On the attainment of his silver jubilee as a minister of the Moray Place Church a function was held in his honour and he was presented with a silver salver. Among the speakers on that occasion was the late Professor Hewitson, who referred to him in terms highly significant of his character. “He was,” said Professor Hewitson, “a man whose brave , spirit had enabled him to do his work in the face of many difficulties throughout the years. He was a ‘battler’ for causes that were down and he would fight for an old cab horse or do all he could to protect a hunted rabbit.” When Mr Saunders concluded his long ministry in 1928 his services were again fittingly recognized.. In his ministry he was a scholarly preacher with something of the fervour and poetry characteristic of the Welshman, but his points were always pertinent. He was also an enthusiast in the establishment of "discussion circles. Mrs Saunders predeceased her husband by about 12 months, and he is survived by a family of four—Dr Douglas Saunders, Eltham"; Mr Llewellyn Saunders, Director of Dental Services, Wellington; the Rev. Kenneth Saunders, Richmond, England; and Miss Gwen. Saunders, who is at present on a holiday visit to England. MR E. L. MACASSEY. A well-known figure in the sporting and business life of Dunedin in the person of Mr Eustace Linden Macassey passed away on Sunday after an illness of some weeks, states the Otago Daily Times. , ~ Although well-known in other directions it is chiefly in the sphere of athletics that Mr Macassey will be missed, for he had been a foremost administrator and president of the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association for many years. A son of the first white woman bom in Dunedin, Mr Macassey completed his Education at the Otago Boys High School, which he attended in the years 1891 and 1892. He was a member of the school Rugby fifteen, and frequently won distinction in the school sports. Leaving school, he joined the old Dunedin Amateur Athletic Club when it was the only amateur body of its kind in Dunedin, and in his time was one of the fastest runners in Dunedin over the distances between 100 yards and 440 yards. He ran third in the New Zealand quarter mile championship at a time when some of the Dominion s greatest runners were competing. Mr Macassey was engaged for some time in the grain-broking business in Central Otago, after which he returned to Dunedin and founded the land and estate agency business which bears his name to-day. He was a member of the Real Estate Institute. In his younger days he was connected with the Pirates Football Club, and since that time he had always had at heart the interests of footballers and athletes, while his interest in life-saving was illustrated by the fact that he was the first president of the Otago Surf Life Saving Association, and vice-president of the St. Clair Life Saving Club. For 13 years until his death he was president of the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, and in that capacity he did a great deal for the sport, which owes much to his able advocacy. He will be greatly missed at the athletic meetings at the Caledonian Ground, where he was a familiar Macassey, who was a brother of Mr P. S. K. Macassey, the Crown Solicitor at Wellington, is survived by his widow and two sons, the elder of whom is Mr L. E. Macassey, wellknown as a Rugby referee.