Travis Lamar Sanders

Travis Lamar “Marty” “Papaw” Sanders died peacefully on August 5th at the age of 86. He was a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, father-in-law and grandfather. Marty is pictured beside a wooden chest that was handcrafted by his grandfather, Arthur Hall. Marty came from a long line of craftsmen (and women) and shared their talent. Marty frequently gifted his own craftsman quality woodwork to his family and friends. He had a passion for gardening and cared for an abundance of flowers, bushes and ferns in the yard. Marty obtained his Bachelors degree in Ceramic Engineering from Clemson and remained an avid Tiger fan (even through their losing streaks). A guest bedroom was so chocked full of Clemson memorabilia, it became known as “the Clemson Room”. He was a definite armchair athlete, enjoying any sport on TV or the radio (even the boring ones). Marty had a deep spiritual faith, which was reflected in his values, morals and actions. He proudly served as an usher and youth Sunday school teacher at Indian Rocks Baptist Church. He also served as the PTA president at the elementary school to which his 3 children attended.

Marty is survived by his wife, “Jackie”, his sister Catherine, his son Jim, his daughter Jane, his son-in-law Rob, two grandsons, Taylor and Conner, and Conner's wife, Esther. He was preceded in death by his brother Melvin, his sister Sarah and his son, Ted.

Jackie shares that Marty was a simple, devoted family man and hardworking provider. He loved to BBQ for his family and friends and graciously built things for anyone who needed it. He and Dudley, the family Cocker Spaniel, absolutely adored each other.

Jim remembers his Dad as a great father, mentor and friend. Dad was spot on when his advice was given and I benefited when the advice was followed and suffered the consequences when it wasn’t. I don’t think I would have graduated high school without my Dad’s tutorage. My Dad was a jack of all trades and was always available to help me build or repair anything.

Jane remembers her Dad for instilling the value of education and continued learning. He encouraged striving for excellence in academics, even though I wasn’t interested in becoming an engineer. I could always depend on his help, but he encouraged me to think on my own. As a fellow left hander, I could count on him to support and embrace my left-handedness.

Rob considers himself the luckiest person in the world to be able to call him father-in-law. Rob saw him as an unsung hero, where his actions spoke louder than his words. He was the best playfort builder, grill master and fishing buddy to those who were fortunate to know him.

Taylor’s fond memories of Papaw include searching for the 50 state quarters, running the bases at the Devil Rays games and most importantly going to Wendy’s and learning about dipping the French fries in your frosty.

Conner Travis always felt honored to be named after his Papaw. My fondest memories were spending time at the Riverhouse playing “Apples to Apples” with him and any time Papaw and I got to go fishing. I felt touched and privileged that Papaw gifted me his antique rifle.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made through contribution to St Jude Children's Research Hospital.