Garry Sanders Obituary

We give thanks for the life and ministry of Garry Dale Sanders.  He died in his home on June 26.  Garry was a longtime member of MLLC, especially  during his early and later years of his life.

Memorials are requested to: Martin Luther Lutheran Church

You can send these by mail to the church, deliver in person, or give through the secure giving page of our web site.  Here is a link to that page:  click link.  On the page where you select where to give and how much, note there is a line for “Memorial Gifts”. Included is a memo box.  Note in that box “Garry Sanders”, and the gift will be passed along to the right account.  Church office telephone: 979-278-3388

The church address:

Martin Luther Lutheran Church

211 Luther Lane

P O BOX 362

Carmine, TX 78932-0362

Memorials are requested to: Hospice Brazos Valley

1048 N. Jefferson St.

La Grange, Texas 78945

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Obituary

Garry Dale Sanders

June 3, 1947 – June 26, 2021

Garry Dale Sanders was born June 3, 1947 in Burton, Texas to Henry Alfred and Sylvia (Jacob) Sanders.  He was baptized August 24, 1947 by Pastor Leo H. Simon and confirmed May 21, 1961 by Pastor August M. Hannemann both at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine, Texas.  His confirmation verse was Matthew 10:32-33:  “³² So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; ³³ but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

A graduate of Round Top-Carmine High School in 1965, he was passionate about sports, lettering in Baseball, Track and Tennis.

On August 19, 1967 he married his high school sweetheart, Leonita Citzler of La Grange and settled in Giddings, Texas.  After the birth of their first-born son, Randy in 1969, Garry was drafted, and the new family moved to Ft. Bliss where he was stationed for two years.  He was discharged honorably as a Specialist IV in 1971 and the family moved back to Giddings and Garry began working in the family refrigeration business.

After working with the Texas Highway Department and Giddings State School, he began his twenty-six year career with GTE / Verizon where he retired as a Network Analyst.   Garry and Leonita’s family grew to three during this time with Timothy born in 1973 and Vickie in 1981.   He then began his second career as a Long Haul Truck Driver for Blue Bell Creamery retiring in 2012.

Garry loved family, sports, travel, vintage cars, hot rods, and aircraft.  He supported all three of his kids’ sports interests and hobbies whether it was football, baseball, or volleyball.  He was a huge Dallas Cowboys and Rice Owls fan.  Garry took his family on numerous trips to such destinations as St Louis, Disney World, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, California, England, and Hawaii and rafted down the Colorado, Arkansas, and Ocoee Rivers.  He also attended many Texas Aggie Football road games with Randy, Tim, and Jason as well as numerous NASCAR, Indy Car, and Red Bull Air races.  Garry loved Air Shows, especially US Navy Blue Angels and the USAF Thunderbirds and once flew in a B-17 Bomber from WW II.

When his grandchildren were born, they became his love.  Always a phone call away it was nothing for Garry to be on the road to Corpus Christi to cuddle Viviana and Lauren when they were home from school or shuttle them to and from school.  The time they spent together was precious and always included a home cooked spaghetti dinner and trip to Luby’s.  Years later when Kyle, Andrew, and Spence were born he had another opportunity to cuddle with little ones.  Whether it was reading quietly inside or watching the boys run and play outdoors, Garry always looked forward to their time together.

His civic activism included membership in American Legion Post 276, as well as the Carmine Chamber Commerce, Carmine Volunteer Fire Department, Carmine Hall – Cedar Creek Schuetzen Verein and his favorite – volunteering at the Carmine Chamber of Commerce Museum.

Garry passed away the evening of Saturday, June 26, 2021 at his home in Carmine.

Garry was preceded in death by his parents, Henry Sanders and Sylvia Sanders, and by a very special aunt and uncle, Marilyn and Kyle Spence; brothers-in-law, Milton Bage, Edrol Wagner, John Smidovec, and Johnny Dunham, and sister-in-law, Alice Loehr.

Survivors include his wife, Leonita; children, Randy and his wife Dika, Tim and his wife Stephanie, and Vickie and her husband Jason; grandchildren, Viviana, Lauren, Kyle, Andrew, and Spence; sister, Becky Dunham; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Carolyn and Leroy Bennetsen, Albert Loehr, Marjorie and EJ Stibora, Marilyn Wagner, Gene and Doris Citzler, and Annie and Allen Mueller.

Pallbearers will be Greg Bage, Mark Bage, Baron Bennetsen, Bradley Loehr, Kevin Stibora, Shane Stibora, Jerrell Smidovec, Jonathan Dunham, Gaschen Geissen, Scott Neumann.