Obituary of Amos C. Saunders

Retired Superior Court Judge Amos C. Saunders, died on Sunday August 16, 2015 at his home in Totowa surrounded by his family after a three year battle with asbestos-related lung cancer. He was 81 years old at the time of his death. During his 23 year tenure on the bench in Passaic County, Judge Saunders earned a reputation as one of the most respected jurists of his time. He was known for his respectful treatment of both lawyers and litigants who appeared in his courtroom and even those who lost their case came away feeling that they were treated with honesty and integrity. Judge Saunders was born in Paterson and raised in Fair Lawn and practiced law there as a partner in the firm of Dobrin, Muscarella, Saunders and Bochet before being appointed to the judiciary in 1977 by Governor Brendan T. Byrne. He served in every division of the Superior Court before being named as Passaic County's Chancery Judge handling general equity matters. He has handled some of the most difficult and high profile cases in Passaic County history including right-to-die cases, the murder trial of Paterson funeral director E. Lee White and the guardianship of an anorexic teenager. The latter case was turned into a made-for-TV movie. He was best known as one of the nation's premier experts on boxing law after presiding over several cases with such luminaries as Don King, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield appearing in his courtroom. He was named by the International Boxing Digest as one of the most powerful people in the sport. After retiring from the bench in 2000, he became of counsel to the Clifton law firm of Carlet, Garrison, Klein and Zaretsky where he practiced as a private mediator and arbitrator. He also served as a member of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Long involved in public service and volunteer activities, Judge Saunders has served as the chairman of the Fair Lawn March of Dimes and as a Trustee for the Totowa Volunteer Ambulance Corps for more than 40 years. An avid reader, he also was a major contributor to the creation of a new Children's Reading Room at the Totowa Public Library in Totowa. Formerly a faculty member of the National Judicial College, which is highly recognized for training judges and other court personnel, Judge Saunders received his B.A. from Hampden-Sydney College and his J.D. from Columbia University Law School. He loved to play golf, fish and travel. Judge Saunders married his high school sweetheart, Janet Botbyl, in 1955 and had three children. His oldest son, Amos Jr. died from leukemia in 1982. Judge Saunders is survived by his wife Janet, son, Richard and his wife, Florence, his daughter Pamela, and three grandchildren, Christopher and Matthew Brighton and Abigail Saunders. Funeral arrangements are being made through Festa Memorial Funeral Home, 111 Union Boulevard, Totowa. Visiting hours will be Tuesday from 4-8 PM. A funeral service will be held at Festa Memorial Funeral Home on Wednesday at 10:30 AM followed by a burial at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Totowa. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Children's Reading Room at the Totowa Public Library or to the Totowa Volunteer Ambulance Corps.