Forrest Saunders

Forrest Proctor "Ben" Saunders, 92 of North Conway, New Hampshire, passed away November 1, 2012. He was born, February 17, 1920, and lived his whole life in North Conway. He was the son of Guy and Celia Proctor Saunders. He attended Kennett High School and graduated from Vermont Academy in 1939.
Ben and Ethel Head were married in 1939 and settled in the area. He initially worked with his father-in-law, Cecil Head, in the Head family funeral business. In 1941 he and Ethel founded White Mountain Oil Company, now known as White Mountain Oil & Propane, Inc., based in North Conway. Their business expanded and changed locations over the years arriving at the current headquarters in the village of North Conway in 1954. Gasoline, automotive service and heating oil sales were the first offerings of the new Company. Ben's sons, Glenn and Scott, joined him at the firm in the 1960s and by 1980, he had turned over the day to day operation to them. Ben was very proud of his business and always insured that its mission included a strong commitment to his employees and to the community of individuals and businesses it served. He was forever a person with absolute integrity who enjoyed and respected people, personal traits that were responsible for the steady growth of the Company in its early years and are the examples and standards that guide the business today. His entrepreneurial enthusiasm resulted in a very successful development partnership, recognized today as Glenwood in Bartlett, NH, with Hamlin Greene, a lifelong friend.
Ben's commitment to his community was significant and varied. He served on the North Conway Park Commission for many years attending to maintenance and regular improvements. He was a member and President of the North Conway Community Center in its very early years. The Lower Bartlett Cemetery Committee was the beneficiary of his guidance and organizational skills. He was a dedicated member of the First Church of Christ Congregational of North Conway.