Sanders

Funeral services for Garry Dale Sanders, 74 of Carmine, Texas, were held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 1, 2021 at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine with Rev. David Tinker officiating. Burial followed in the Carmine Cemetery.

Garry Dale Sanders was born June 3, 1947 in Burton, Texas to Henry Alfred and Sylvia (Jacob) Sanders. He was baptized and confirmed at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine, Texas. A graduate of Round Top-Carmine High School in 1965, he was passionate about sports, lettering in Baseball, Track and Tennis.

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

Memorials may be made to Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine, Hospice Brazos Valley or the charity of one’s choice.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Phillips and Luckey Funeral Home in Giddings.