Michael Eugene Sanders

Michael Eugene Sanders, 77, was welcomed to his heavenly home on May 26, 2025, surrounded by family. He was born on March 27, 1948, in Ogden, Utah to Eugene C. and Faye Taggart Sanders, and lived a full, imperfect, and deeply human life — the kind that leaves a mark in quiet, lasting ways.

Mike graduated from Ogden High School and later earned his degree from Weber State University, where he met Laura Taylor. They were married on June 16, 1972, in the Ogden Utah Temple and built a life together grounded in family, service, and learning.

He served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil from 1967 to 1969, and later spent ten years serving in the Salt Lake inner-city mission in Spanish- and Portuguese- speaking congregations, where he humbly gave his time and heart to people he came to love. For Mike, serving others was one of the clearest ways to serve his Savior Jesus Christ.

Mike was a man of strong opinions, dependable habits, and a dry sense of humor that you had to earn your way into. He worked hard, complained a fair amount (often with good reason), and loved his family by showing up, fixing things, and doing what needed to be done, whether or not it was easy. He taught his children and grandchildren the value of work, loyalty, and most importantly, serving others without expecting credit.

Mike is survived by his wife Laura Taylor Sanders, the quiet strength behind their family; and their three children: Sean (Elizabeth) Sanders and their daughters Rheanna (from a previous marriage), Abigaile, and Aurora; Cassie (Aaron) Smith, and their children Brighton, Houston, Boston, and Quinton; Chris (Lisa) Sanders, and their children Nolan and Oliver. He is also survived by his brother, Kirk (Sue) Sanders, and many extended family members.

As an advocate of lifelong learning, one of Mike’s final wishes was that in lieu of flowers, you buy a book for a child and read it to them — a simple act he believed could change a life.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 4, at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 S Highland Dr, Millcreek, UT 84106, with a visitation from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. prior to the service. Burial will be in Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.