He was the television play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Raptors from 1995 to 2001, eventually being replaced by Chuck Swirsky. Personal life John was an advocate for juvenile diabetes research, having been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as an adult in the early 1980s after his then-girlfriend dragged him to the hospital to get tested. He was also a founding board member of the Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research, a charity that has raised $200 million with 100% of the proceeds funding cancer research. Saunders lived in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, with his wife and children. He was the brother of former National Hockey League player Bernie Saunders. Death On August 10, 2016, Saunders's wife discovered him not breathing in their New York home. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, but around 4 a.m., he was pronounced dead. He was 61 years of age. Foul play was ruled out by authorities. Family members stated Saunders had not been feeling well in the days leading up to his death but no specific cause of death was publicly announced. John U. Bacon, who coauthored Saunders's autobiography, stated in the book that the coroner found that Saunders died from a combination of an enlarged heart, complications from his diabetes, and dysautonomia, which affects the nervous system which regulates breathing, blood pressure and heart rate. Saunders's brain was donated to Mount Sinai School of Medicine for research as requested. He was included in the "in memoriam" segment at the 2017 ESPY Awards. References Further reading External links John Saunders' ESPN Bio 1955 births 2016 deaths Black Canadian broadcasters Black Canadian ice hockey players Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Canadian male journalists Canadian television sportscasters College basketball announcers in the United States College football announcers Major League Baseball broadcasters National Basketball Association broadcasters National Hockey League broadcasters People from Ajax, Ontario Toronto Metropolitan University alumni Sportspeople from Toronto Women's National Basketball Association announcers NBA G League broadcasters Toronto Raptors announcers Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey players Wide World of Sports (American TV series) People from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York Citytv people