Steven Gill Sanders

August 23, 1936 – December 20, 2023

Dr. Steven G. Sanders, Sr., 87, passed away on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Steve was born on August 23, 1936 in Chicago Illinois, to Raymond E. and Mildred (Millie) G. Sanders. In 1949, Steve, along with his parents and sister, Jill, vacationed in Arkansas where they fell in love with the Ozarks. The family soon left the Chicago area to pursue the telephone business in the rural mountains of northern Arkansas, purchasing the Flippin Telephone Company. In 1951, Northern Arkansas Telephone Company (NATCO) was incorporated in Flippin, Arkansas, with the company motto “Watch Us Grow.”

As a teenager, Steve worked alongside his father, Ray, stringing copper lines and installing telephone equipment to homes and businesses throughout Marion County. An industrious and intelligent young man, Steve was fascinated by science and technology.

Steve initially went to high school in Mountain Home, AR, and subsequently upon graduation from high school in Springfield, MO, Steve attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), in Cambridge, MA. He earned an undergraduate degree in Physics, in 1958. After MIT he did research at Princeton and then received a teaching fellowship at Rutgers University. Steve continued his education by earning a doctoral degree in physics from the University of South Carolina, in Columbia, SC.

After earning his Ph.D., Steve began a career in academia, serving as a professor at Southern Illinois University, in Edwardsville, IL. In 1976, Steve returned to the Ozarks and NATCO where he assumed the role of President of Operations, following the illness and subsequent death of his father, Ray.

In his new role, Steve introduced cutting-edge innovations to NATCO’s internal and external operations. He installed one of the region’s first large-scale computer systems to manage records and billing, and was one of the first retailers of personal computers, as that technology emerged. Throughout his career at NATCO, he continually introduced upgrades to the company’s infrastructure, transitioning from copper lines to fiber optic technology and partnering with local companies to provide cellular service to the area.

Always forward thinking and an advocate for education, Steve was eager to adopt new technology and partnered with the University of Arkansas to bring data services, then subsequently internet service to area schools. NATCO was one of the first companies to offer internet service to customers in the state of Arkansas, managing their own web and e-mail servers. NATCO served as the trial site in Arkansas for national Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) technology and was one of the first companies in the country to offer the service.

Steve recognized the importance of the internet to the future of telecommunications and the future of the region. As President and General Manager, Steve positioned NATCO as an emerging national leader in rural Internet technology. In 1993, Steve was asked to present at the national SuperComm conference to share NATCO’s innovative network system designs.

Steve believed technology could play a major role in the economic growth and sustainability of the area. In 1993, he established the South Shore Foundation, the charitable arm of Northern Arkansas Telephone Company, which works to further economic development, provide educational opportunities, and promote environmental preservation through implementation of advanced technology. The South Shore Foundation’s impact on schools and communities throughout north-central Arkansas is immeasurable, with numerous contributions to scholarship funds and local projects.

Additionally, Steve was a great supporter of the arts in Arkansas and Florida. Steve’s affinity for ballet, opera, and cultural arts is evidenced by his philanthropic service on many charitable boards.

Steve also served in a leadership capacity on many state, regional, and national telecommunication industry boards, including the Arkansas Telecommunications Association and the Western Rural Telephone Association, where he served as President during his board terms, and the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, where he championed the efforts of rural telecommunications companies.

Steve was honored by the Western Rural Telephone Association with the Dolores Donnelly Award for “excellence in leadership ” for contributions to rural telephony and the concept of universal service. He worked with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on implementing the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as well as helped to develop the Arkansas Telecom Act of 1997. After relocating to south Florida in 2001, he continued to oversee NATCO’s corporate investments and financial strategy until his death.

While much of Steve’s life was dedicated to NATCO and the telecommunications industry, he enjoyed several interests and hobbies outside of work including tennis, scuba diving, water skiing, and motor yachting. He was a skilled pilot, owning and operating personal aircraft for many years. Steve enjoyed the arts and frequently attended ballet and symphony performances. He loved his family, and bravely raised two teenagers as a single parent before later in life discovering the fulfillment of being ‘Grandpa’ to his grandchildren, whom he adored. He had a close network of friends and colleagues in Florida who he referred to as his ‘tribe’ and also considered family, and he was lovingly and meticulously cared for in his last years by Michelle and Paulette. He was known to those closest to him for his sense of humor and amazing laugh and will be greatly missed.

Dr. Steven G. Sanders, Sr. is survived by son, Steven G. Sanders, Jr. (Danielle) of Sunrise, Florida & Mountain Home, Arkansas; daughter Meghan Ward of Bella Vista, Arkansas; grandchildren Isabella Sanders and Ethan Sanders of Sunrise, Florida & Mountain Home, Arkansas; Sean Sanders of Boulder, Colorado; and Hadley Ward and Samuel Ward of Bella Vista, Arkansas.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Jill Horvath.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Dr. Steven G. Sanders to the South Shore Foundation.

A Celebration Of Life Services in Fort Lauderdale, FL is scheduled for February 17, 2024, please contact the family at [email protected] for information regarding the services and location.