Richard Sanders Lieutenant Colonel USAF RET. 5/23/1933 - 1/24/2024

Richard (Dick) Sanders passed away peacefully on January 24, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon at the age of 90. He is survived by his son, Stephen (Julie) Sanders and his daughter, Sheila (David) Marx, his grandchildren Reece Sanders, McKenzie (Morgan) Engel, Jonathan (Rebecca) Marx and Dylan Marx, and by his great grandchildren Benjamin Marx and Leah Marx. Dick was born in 1933 on a dairy farm in Branchville, New Jersey, the youngest of nine children. In 1951, when they were both high school seniors, Dick met the love of his life, Jane, when she made him a root beer float at the local malt shop in Warwick, New York. Inseparable since then, he was on the football team, and she on the cheer squad, they married in 1954 while he was home from USAF Aviation Cadet training. During his distinguished military career as a Navigator in the United States Air Force, Dick flew the F-94A, C-130, B- 57, C-124, C-141 and the C-5A. He had the distinction of flying the smallest aircraft to the largest aircraft during his career. While at Travis AFB, Dick was the Navigation Standardization officer of the 60th Military Aircraft Wing and then the Standardization Staff Navigator of the 22nd Air Force, which had responsibility for military airlift operations in the western hemisphere. Following 20 years of service with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he retired in 1972. Following retirement, Dick started a successful career in Real Estate, first Residential and then Commercial lending. Back in Northern California following a brief stint in Lake Tahoe, Dick and Jane raised their teenagers and eventually settled in Rocklin. Dick enjoyed architecture and landscape design and their Rocklin home brought them both great joy for many years. Here they found their faith community at Centerpoint Church in Roseville, and made life long friends. Dick and Jane enjoyed vacations with family and friends in Minnesota, Florida and up and down the California coast. Favorite times included picnicking at wineries and long drives through the Gold Country in Dick's BMW. Many memories were made with children and grandchildren in Pismo Beach, California, eating clam chowder and building drip sandcastles. Quiet times at home included lots of reading and enjoying their garden together. Jane passed in 2018 after 64 years of beautiful marriage. After Jane's passing, Dick (by now, known to many as Papa) moved to Oregon to be closer to family. He enjoyed getting to know his great grandchildren over clam chowder lunches in the Greer Gardens dining room, and tasting through varietals of Oregon Pinot Noir. Our family would like to thank the community at the Springs at Greer Gardens for providing such a lovely home and the Central Lutheran Church for their faith support. Dick's love for Jane, his friends, family and faith truly knew no bounds. Dick will be interred with his beloved Jane at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, together forever. Services to follow at future date.