Leon Sanders Jr.

It has been said that “all the world’s a stage.” This particularly held true for Leon Sanders Jr. Indeed, he was one of the players. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a perpetual performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and was always willing to share that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Leon, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark, or the twinkle of an eye. Leon truly mastered the art of living and had great fun throughout his journey.

Leon first stepped onto the stage of life on June 25th, 1950. He first greeted the world in Tallulah, Louisiana. He was the son of Kitty Williams and Leon Sanders Sr. He grew up in Tallulah, Louisiana. Even as a child, it seemed as though he had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring, and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention and was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, Leon was easygoing and fun-loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even in the middle of family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, he managed to find satisfying solutions to basic problems. He could see all sides of a dispute and managed to bring in his sense of humor whenever it was needed. He was raised with five girls and one brother. He was the youngest but cared for his sisters as a big brother. He used to talk about how the cows use to chase him around the farm. His grandfather was a descendent of the Zulu tribe in Africa.

His childhood home was a house on a farm in Tallulah, Louisiana. All of Leon's playful good nature carried over into his childhood. He had an outgoing personality, a lively imagination, and a rather laid back, go-with-the-flow approach to life. He was constantly on the go. As a result of this, he experienced a rather active childhood and this suited him very well. He enjoyed sports as a child, especially basketball. He also had a number of favorite pastimes as a child, including cooking and collecting coins. Playing games was always a favorite way to spend time, in particular hide and go seek. He went to Wright Elementary School.

Leon was drawn to both individuals and crowds. He frequently used his gregarious and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. Leon also went on a few trips when he was growing up.

Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Leon was a “cut-up” and had a tendency to be the class clown. With the knack for being able to find a joke in just about any situation, whether in class or not, he was always ready with a laugh. He wasn’t the type of person who would say or do things to be unkind or garner all the attention. Rather, Leon simply enjoyed seeing others have a good time and to hear their laughter. As for grades, it could be said that they may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience, even if he wasn't one to get caught up in the academics. For Leon, experience was the best teacher. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying a practical approach to knowledge. He graduated from Thomas Town High School in 1968. For Leon, a class or a teacher had to be fun to really capture his attention. He played basketball during high school,. He was involved in boxing and enjoyed watching wrestling.

The high school years were not just about the classroom for Leon. There were a lot of other exciting and interesting things to do and see. He found it easy to become a part of a lot of different groups and activities. This quality allowed him to continually develop new relationships and continually widen his circle of friends. For Leon, they were all potential spectators for his seemingly non-stop performances. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song, or just plain fooling around, he was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. He utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. Just about anyone who knew Leon back then would probably be able to tell a story in which he played the starring role.

Being such an outgoing person, Leon found dating and relationships to come quite naturally.

Leon understood responsibility and took it seriously, despite the fact that he seemed carefree on the surface. This was obvious in a number of different ways. After school, Leon worked at the only job he had as a child which was on his grandfather's farm. He planted vegetables and raised cows, pigs and chicken. His first car was a Chevy Malibu.

Leon was a very easy person to approach, simply by being so emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate. Murial Lee Brown Sanders learned this firsthand. Murial needed a ride to and from work and Leon offered her a ride. Leon and Murial's first date was at a house party.

During the Christmas Holidays, he told her whatever she wanted, he was ready. Their engagement was in 1978.

Leon exchanged wedding vows with Jackie on January 4th, 1995. Murial's brother gave her away. The day of the wedding it was raining very hard. They just had family and friends. It was held at Greater New Jerusalem. The service was officiated by Pastor James M. Rogers. The wedding reception was at the church, Greater New Jerusalem M.B.C. Fond memories of their wedding included playing good music and enjoying good food.

Following the ceremony, Leon and Jackie were able to get away for a while on their honeymoon. Their honeymoon was in their Las Vegas home.

He tried hard not to impose on his spouse. He was always sensitive to other people’s feelings and that was especially true in marriage. In that way, he tried to bring joy and harmony to the household. Like most young couples, they lived rather modestly. Their first residence was an apartment on Dona Street. The first house they purchased was one story and very cozy.

For Leon and Jackie, their marriage included sharing old friends and meeting some new ones. Some of the couple’s friends during this time included Mr. & Mrs. Johnson, Big Sam and the Blackwell family. Big Sam and Murial liked music and Sam said never stop playing the music. The household also included some pets, namely Tyson a rotweiler and shar pei (Smile). We also had a toy poodle, Tobey, that was stolen. Tyson wouldn't let anyone in the yard, we lost homeowner's insurance until Tyson was given away.

Leon seemed to have an endless appetite for new activities. A generous person who often wore his heart on his sleeve, he often found himself involved in activities that he felt were important. He was charitable, kind, and giving, qualities that made him a natural volunteer. Outspoken in his beliefs, yet tactful in his dealings with others, he was a member of several community groups. Leon had an endless appetite for new and different activities. He was always ready to join in the fun and add his flair and energy to an organization. Because of his personality, his humor, and his ability to get along with everyone, Leon's service was greatly valued by the organizations to which he belonged. He was a member of the Local 226 Union.

Perhaps the reason Leon related so well to youngsters was the fact that he was always a kid at heart himself. This quality helped him in raising his own family. It was as if he remembered the way it felt to play and have fun as a child and so he tried to keep that feeling alive in his own family. He had three children, Clay, Terrance and Sandy. Leon and the boys went to a boy scout campout and returned early. No one could sleep on the rocks! The children would often fill him with pride. Clay and Terrance ran track and went out of town (Philadelphia) and played pop warner football. He also tried to raise the children in a safe and nurturing environment, filled with fun and wonder. Their house was made just right for the children. Leon had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. If he was spending time with his children, that is where all of his attention was directed. He could spend hours engaging them with fun and creative play. In fact, Leon had a knack for turning some of those nasty old household chores into fun and playful games.

He tried his best to be a good parent. Leon also carried over the fun into family trips and vacations. The boys always played the wise men in the Christmas plays. The family visited Chicago to see relatives on his mother's side. They liked to river raft.

Later on, he was also blessed with eleven grandchildren, Sean, Andrew, Dynesha, Daneya, Jeremiah, China, Tarika, Diasha, Daryll, Sylvia and Jesse.

At work, as in life, Leon was a real "people person." He had a very successful way of working effectively with others and his enthusiasm and energy were often contagious. When dealing with various projects and problems, Leon was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the best option. Being a down-to-earth thinker allowed many to see him as an excellent problem-solver. Years ago, Leon worked at the Aladdin Hotel as a steward. Probably the most unique or interesting job Leon ever held was a flight steward on the planes for Hilton's Private VIP's. His primary occupation was working as an executive steward. He served many stars and VIP's. He excelled fast as a steward and made executive steward in no time.

Leon made a number of new friends in the workplace, due to his outgoing personality. Some of them included Rose, Leon and Johnny. Leon Sanders and his friend Leon met Bill Cosby at the Hilton Hotel.

Leon managed to wrap himself up in all sorts of activities during his career. He belonged to the Local Union 226.

Leon tried to enlist, but his flat feet wouldn't allow him to join.

Leon enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. He was the kind of person who liked creating things. Some of his favorite pastimes were playing craps and keno.

Leon developed a number of favorite things throughout his life. Leon's favorite thing in life was to rest. When it came to food, Leon particularly liked barbecue ribs, yams and mixing things together. Sitting down and watching a movie or television show was always something he enjoyed. Leon loved westerns and enjoyed game shows which included Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. He did not really like music.

Leon felt excited and challenged by sports. Even those times when he may not have been the best, he loved to participate. He thoroughly enjoyed the competition as well as the pleasure of being around other people. He relished any opportunities in which he could make an impact. In fact, it was not uncommon for him to push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, he never seemed to get caught off guard. Even when confronted by the unexpected he was able to react and often succeed, thinking quickly on his feet. Basketball was his favorite sports to participate in. He also enjoyed watching his favorite teams and events whenever he got the opportunity. Leon's favorite sports to watch was wrestling.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Leon recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. Leon was a Baptist as a young child.

Leon believed that you had to experience life to its fullest and his life in retirement was no different. The day to retire finally arrived in 1996. Like most things in his life, he took it in stride as one more way to have fun. He retired with Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Casino and lived in North Las Vegas and Las Vegas, Nevada. With his boundless energy, he remained busy with people and projects. Not only did Leon stay in touch with old friends, he befriended plenty of new people as well.

Leon Sanders left us on May 18th, 2011. He passed away at Odyssey Home Health Care in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 60 years old. The cause of death was a stroke. He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, sister and brother. He is survived by his wife, three children, eleven grandchildren, four sisters, nieces and nephews, and two daughter-in-laws. Services were handled by Palm Mortuary. Leon was laid to rest at Palm Mortuary and Cemetery in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Leon was always sharing a good laugh and bringing joy to all of those around him. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and a zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Leon Sanders Jr. lived life to its fullest and made everyone happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Downtown Funeral Home, Las Vegas, NV.