Josephine Lois Saunders

Saugerties, NY – Josephine “Mama Jo” Saunders, 93, passed away on March 21, 2019. She was born in Ashley Heights, NC. She was the daughter of the late, Paul V. Saunders and Lois Fish Saunders. She had her own beauty salon and worked in the restaurant business for over 40 years. When she retired, she became a foster-grandparent for the Kingston City School system in NY for 17 years. She loved taking pictures, listening to country music and shopping. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 30th at Firstborn Baptist Church at McGee’s Crossroads. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 12:00-2:00 PM at the church. Burial will follow at Wake Chapel Memorial Gardens, Fuquay Varina. In addition to her parents, Josephine was pre-deceased by her husband, Philip J. Coignard; brothers, Eriel Saunders and Kemp Saunders; her sister, Eunice Saunders Carroll; granddaughter, Ceilia Coignard; great-granddaughters, Cara McCarthy and Kaitlyn Owens. She is survived by her sisters, Jeanette Lucas and husband, Joe, Inez Alexakos; children, Kemp Young and wife, Sandra, Yvonne Gregory and husband, Maynard, Cynthia Young, Philip “Jeff” Coignard, Brett Coignard (Margaret); grandchildren, Amy Evans, Jennifer McCarthy, Amanda Longo, Kimberly Owens, Wesley Gregory, Phillip Coignard, Jesse Coignard and Ben Bennett; eighteen great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild as well as many nieces and nephews. She was loved by many and will be deeply missed.