Patrick T. Saunders of Dartmouth and William H. Saunders, Jr., funeral directors at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals in New Bedford and Mattapoisett, have become partners in the firm, joining their fathers, Richard T. Saunders, Jr. and William H. Saunders, in the family-owned business. 

They both will serve as vice presidents of the corporation which was established by their late grandfather Richard T. Saunders in 1967.

Patrick Saunders received his Funeral Director’s license in 2015. He is a graduate of Dartmouth High School, Class of 2008 and graduated cum laude from both the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Class of 2012 and Mount Ida College, Class of 2015, where he was a member of the Pi Sigma Eta Honor Society.

In 2020, he graduated summa cum laude from the Master of Business Administration Program at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. A resident of Dartmouth, he serves as treasurer of the Board of Directors for Better Community Living, Inc. and as an elected Dartmouth Town Meeting member. 

He is currently participating in the National Funeral Directors Association Emerging Leaders Program, Class of 2022-2023 and the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association Strategic Issues Task Force.

William Saunders Jr. received his Funeral Director’s License in 2019. A graduate of Bishop Stang High School, Class of 2016, he received his Associates Degree in Funeral Service from Cape Cod Community College in 2019 where he was a member of the Pi Sigma Eta Honor Society. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree cum laude in 2021 from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in Small Business Management.

He resides in Marion with his wife Casey L. (Allaire) Saunders, an educator at Quinn Elementary School in Dartmouth.

The New Bedford facility at 495 Park St. was established in 1967 and later added the Dwyer Funeral Home with a merger in 1985. The second location at 50 County Road, Mattapoisett was opened in 1996.