John "Jack" Willis Sanders

John W. (Jack) Sanders of Alexandria, VA, a retired education administrator and consultant, died April 26 at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, two days after his 86th birthday. His beloved wife of 39 years, Brenda, and his daughter, Jennifer, were at his bedside throughout the month of his final illness.

An erudite, thoughtful, and witty man, Jack was born in Atlanta, GA, the eldest son of E.C. Sanders, owner and editor of The Rockmart Journal, and Hazel Waits Sanders, a musician and piano teacher.

An excellent student, Jack attended local public schools, graduating from Rockmart High School in 1958. He attended the University of Georgia, pausing briefly to run The Incline Restaurant in Chattanooga. He returned to UGA to finish a B.A. in Business Administration and an M.A. in Sociology. As president of the Wesley Foundation, he advocated for racial integration of religious spaces in Athens and drove newly registered Black voters to the polls. Jack then became an Assistant Professor and Adjunct Professor of Sociology at Salem College and Wake Forest University. In 1972 he was selected for a Ford Foundation Fellowship, which he used for additional graduate study in management and leadership at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

When his Fellowship ended Jack switched from teaching to administration, becoming Director of the Office of Institutional Research at John Jay College, City University of New York.

In 1978 he joined the National Association of Independent Schools, which represented some 1,000 private schools across the U.S., and where he would spend much of his career. Over his years with NAIS, Jack became a Vice President and Managing Director of its Washington, D.C., office, overseeing its government relations, as well as public relations, business services, and development of fund-raising services for its schools.

After some 30 years in academia, however, Jack decided on a radical change. He bought a Ford pickup truck to tow a 32’ Avion RV. He and Brenda took off on a year-long trip of a lifetime, criss-crossing the country and every state in the West.

Returning to harness in 1994, Jack became executive director of the nonprofit Independent Educational Services, based in Princeton, N.J., a school consulting and recruiting association. While managing the firm’s relocation to Alexandria, VA, Jack also brought the firm significant growth in the recruitment of science and math teachers and a revitalization of its management consulting business. He later, as an independent contractor, would provide consulting services and project management to a diverse range of organizations, including the Water Environment Research Foundation; the internet start-up Epylon Corporation; the Edusoft Corporation; and the Home Builders Institute, education arm of the National Association of Home Builders.

Jack was an avid reader and a skilled cook and baker throughout his life, as well as a passionate surf- and fly fisherman. For 17 years in retirement, Jack was a trained grief support volunteer at Haven of Northern Virginia, offering comfort to individuals and facilitating support groups.

Some of his happiest moments were at the helm of his 24’ Sea Ray Sundancer, Great Catch, gliding— and sometimes roaring— with Brenda up and down the Potomac River. He served as president of the Sycamore Island Canoe Club and was a longtime member of the Mount Vernon Yacht Club, serving on its Board and as the club’s Rear Commodore.

Jack is survived by his wife, Brenda Seymore Sanders; daughter, Jennifer Sanders (Phyllis Mark); granddaughter, Lillian Sanders Nelson; his brother and sister, Wayne Sanders (Jan) and Eleanor Sanders Dixon; his sister-in-law, Janice Sanders; his nephew Greg Sanders (Courtney) and niece Andrea Sanders Collier; great-nephew Cason Collier, and cousins Melanie Waits Holbrook, Mark Waits (Jeff Yoakum), and Jeff Waits and their families. He was predeceased by his parents, his brothers Phil Sanders and Neil Sanders, his brother-in-law, Dick Dixon, and his cousins Dan Waits and Stan Waits.

The family would like to thank the staff of Inova Mount Vernon Hospital and its affiliated practices for providing exceptional care during Jack’s illness. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Haven of Northern Virginia, or the Northern Virginia chapter of Trout Unlimited. The family will hold a private memorial service later in the year