Charles W. Sanders

Charles W. Sanders On this date, June 10, 2010, Charles W. Sanders HMCH USN RET was transferred to serve of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-chief. Charles Wilmore Sanders was born on September 29, 1921 in McLeansboro, Illinois. He had an older sister, Ruth, now deceased, and a younger brother, Harry Newton. On February 1, 1942, he enlisted in the US Navy. During the summer of 1943, he met Mary Elizabeth Redman of Westfield, Illinois who was working in California. In January 1944 while serving with the 4th Marine Division, he sailed from San Diego, California to the Pacific Theater of the War. He participated in the landings on the Marshall Islands, Saipan and Tinian Islands of the Marianas Island Chain and finally, Iwo Jima. After the war, he and Mary Elizabeth were married on November 26, 1945 in the First Christian Church, McLeansboro, Illinois. They lived in many different places and had three children. Susan Jane was born on the USS Repose in Tsingtao, China on July 25, 1948. Debra Lee was born in Annapolis, Maryland on October 21, 1950. John Charles was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on November 17, 1959. After 26 years of US Naval service, he retired in Washington, D.C. on April 15, 1968. He worked a short time in Maryland, and then moved to Tucson, Arizona in August of 1972. He retired from the University of Arizona Hospital in 1982. Charles and Elizabeth moved to Sun Lakes that same year. He was a member of the Sun Lakes Volunteer Fire Department for seven years. Charles was preceded in death by his daughter, Susan Sanders. He is survived by his wife, Mary Elizabeth; and children, Debra McClanahan, her husband, Mike and John Sanders, and his wife, Karen; his grandchildren, Rebecca Hitchman and husband, Curtis, David Mattson and wife, Jill, Josh Lowry and Sammy, Jeff Kappler and wife, Nicole, Sean McClanahan, Ryan McClanahan and wife, Breann, Charlie Sanders and Alex Sanders; seven great-grandchildren. He attended Sun and Shield Baptist Church of Avra Valley. Charles Sanders was a patriotic American who did his best to be a loving husband and father. Funeral Service Tuesday, June 15, 2010 10:00 a.m. EAST LAWN PALMS MORTUARY CHAPEL. Interment East Lawn Palms Cemetery.

Arrangements under the direction of East Lawn Palms Mortuary, Tucson, AZ.