Bruce James Sanders

Bruce James Sanders, 81, was born December 9, 1944, in Portland, Oregon, to James and Vangie (Kramer) Sanders. James was from Texarkana, Texas, and Vangie was from Watertown, South Dakota. He died on October 23, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. He resided in Vancouver, Washington.

The family moved to Vancouver, Washington, from the Vanport area just before the Vanport flood in 1948. Bruce attended Fruit Valley grade school in Vancouver from kindergarten through the 5th grade. He graduated from Benson High School in 1963, earning a school trophy in his senior year for a state craftsmanship contest after building a complete set of kitchen cabinets—an early sign of the steady skill and careful workmanship that would shape his working life.

After graduation, Bruce joined the Marine Corps in 1964. He was stationed in Okinawa in November 1964 and was among the first Marine units deployed to Vietnam in April 1965. He was honorably discharged in 1967 with the rank of Corporal E-4. While at Da Nang Air Base, Bruce was run over by a C-130 Air Force cargo plane when he was in a bunker. The plane crash landed in a blinding rain storm after it ran out of fuel, and he sustained no great injuries.

Upon returning to Portland, he began painting for his father’s company, Jim Sanders Painting, until he started his own business in 1969. In 1969, he married Viky Lidbeck. In 1970 they bought a house in Milwaukie, where they lived until 1997, and they had one son, James.

Bruce sold his painting company to his partner in 1970 and went to work for his dad again—this time estimating jobs and running projects—remaining there until 1978. He then worked for Ferguson Coatings as Vice President from 1978 until 1981, when he bought Schmuck Bros. Painting from Gene Schmuck. That same year, Bruce’s father died. Bruce purchased his father’s company and the building, and immediately began renovations. In 1982, Schmuck Bros. Painting moved into the newly remodeled building in North Portland where his father’s business had been since 1961. His career reflected a consistent commitment to building things well, meeting responsibilities directly, and taking pride in the details that others might overlook.

In 1985, he began remodeling a building for the building of race cars. Bruce raced at the Portland Raceway and tracks throughout the Northwest, driving two Porsches and a Camaro. In time, he found even greater satisfaction in the craft of building than in being behind the wheel; the last car he owned, he hired a driver to race. That driver won the Rose Cup Race in Portland in 1991.

Around 1994, Bruce bid on the Rose Garden Arena project (now known as the Moda Center) and was awarded the job to paint the entire arena—the company’s biggest job. In 1996, he designed and built his dream home in Oregon City, bringing the same practical vision and disciplined follow-through to his own plans that he brought to his work.

In 2005, Bruce started his e-Bay business, Project Proof Coin Gallery, selling perfect proof coins. He continued his association with S.P.C.O., the Signatory Painting Contractors Organization that he and two other contractors founded. He also served on many committees, including Trustee on Painters Pension, Apprenticeship, Promotion & Trust Collection, and Apprenticeship & Industry Promotion Trust—roles that reflected a lasting sense of duty to his trade and to the people learning it.

His other hobbies included RC car racing, fly tying, and fly fishing—pursuits that suited his patient hands and appreciation for precision.

Bruce’s life was marked by service, craftsmanship, and a steadfast commitment to the work before him, whether on a jobsite, in a workshop, or in the quiet focus of a personal hobby. He will be remembered with respect by those who knew him and worked alongside him.