Chuck Sanders

Elmer Charles (Chuck) Sanders, 86, of Yarmouth, passed away peacefully on May 1, 2024, surrounded by his loved ones. Chuck was born on September 18, 1937, to Elmer and Gladys Sanders in White Plains, NY. After Chuck graduated from Hackley School in 1955, he went on to study at Clarkson College and General Motors Institute.

Chuck adored and doted on his wife and high school sweetheart, Catherine Sedgwick Sanders. Married for over sixty-five years, Chuck and Cathy raised their three children in Palm Beach Gardens, FL; spent several years in Oakland, NJ; before delighting in their thirty-five years in Maine, living near family and building a close community of friends. Though not an architect by training, Chuck designed and oversaw the construction of their dream home in Cumberland Foreside.

In his work and hobbies, Chuck demonstrated the success that comes from dedication and commitment. He retired from General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) after forty years, having worked his way up from repossessing cars in Tennessee, to the Assistant Manager of the Portland, ME office. With steadfast loyalty to his long-time employer, Chuck only purchased General Motors automobiles.

Chuck loved his community and was not one to sit idle during retirement. He became a Volunteer Firefighter where he served at Falmouth Fire Station #1 with Fire Fighter badge 143 from July 1998 until April 2006. His main job was driving and operating the pumper truck, but also assisted in many other tasks with the fire crew. Chuck would be called to service at any time day or night, and was often called several times within a 24 hour period.

His passion for sailing brought him to Portland Yacht Club, where he earned the title of Commodore, having started at PYC as a parking lot attendant. With his affable demeanor and sense of humor, you’d often find him at the Yacht Club wearing a mischievous smile while sharing coffee with a group of friends.

Chuck spent many hours sailing over the waters of Casco Bay, applying his problem-solving and technical skills to the vicissitude of wind power by installing a gas engine on his sail craft. Putting his design skills to the sea-worthy test, Chuck built a number of wooden boats, including the “Sweet Pea”, a canoe/kayak powered by a battery, that he loved to glide along Squam Lake – his favorite family vacation spot.

The small-mouth bass of Squam Lake were no match for Chuck, due to his strategic mindset: “If I were a bass, where would I be?”, his patience, and honed technique. His angler joy was magnified when helping his crewmates, children and grandchildren, land a big fish.

Chuck was an adventurer, traveling the world with Cathy, her sister Emily Sedgwick Bagwill and brother-in-law John Bagwill. This foursome found thrills and respite on their annual vacations, usually in the winter, to sunny spots like New Zealand, Portugal, the Caribbean Islands, and Hawaii.

One of Chuck’s most memorable adventures was when he volunteered to help crew a sailboat owned by a PYC member which needed to be brought from Bermuda back to Portland. Along the route, the sailboat suffered some malfunctions and started to sink in a storm off Cape Hatteras. After a distress call to the Coast Guard, the ship that was summoned to help was a 1,000-foot car carrier, with a Japanese captain and Filipino crew, which was on its way to Houston, TX from Belgium. The crew dropped a rope ladder down the side of the massive cargo ship, and Chuck and his fellow sailors had to leap from their boat in the storm-swept waves, and climb up the rope. Despite language barriers, Chuck described the next days enroute to Houston as time spent forming bonds of friendship and finding ways to express their deep gratitude to their rescuers.

Chuck was predeceased by his parents and sister, Joan, as well as a number of beloved canine companions: Prince, Yankee, Charlotte, Lucy, Cooper, and Casey. The loved ones he leaves behind include his devoted wife, Cathy; his two daughters, Catherine Agostino of Cumberland and Deborah Sheehan of Yarmouth; his son, Scott Sanders of Sherman Oaks, CA; son-in-law, Daniel Sheehan and daughter-in-law, Jill Sanders. Chuck will also be greatly missed by his grandchildren: Matthew Sanders, Alexandra Agostino, Makenzie Sheehan, and Bailey Flynn; grandson-in-law, Brian Flynn; and great-grandson Wesley Flynn.

To honor Chuck’s memory, a Celebration of his Life will be held on June 22, 2024 at the Portland Yacht Club, from 2:00pm-4:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Chuck’s name to The Center For Dementia Research. https://www.cdr.rfmh.org/donate-now

Please visit www.lindquistfuneralhome.com to leave condolences for the family and sign Chuck's online guest book.