Scott Alan Sanders

February 13, 1961 – December 16, 2022

On December 16th, Scott Alan Sanders passed away at his home surrounded by loved ones after a devastating battle against Glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer. He is deeply missed and survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Diane (Sumners) Sanders, daughters Brooke Mareschal and husband Max, and Megan Collins and husband Nick, parents Jean and George Sanders, grandchildren Isaac and Elise Mareschal and countless friends and family. This immeasurable loss will be felt for a lifetime by those who called him Scott, Dad, and Papi.

Scott was born on February 13, 1961. He spent his childhood in Lake Jackson, Texas playing a variety of sports, and learning about real estate, construction, and carpentry from his dad, George. His mom, Jean, instilled in him a strong faith in God and the value of education. Scott graduated from Brazoswood High School in May 1979.

His love of building led him to pursue a degree in Architecture at Texas Tech University (g 1985). It was on a blind date at Texas Tech where he met his soulmate, Diane Sumners. The two were married on August 17th, 1985 and recently celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary. In 1989, their older daughter, Brooke DeFord Sanders was born and their younger, Megan Diane Sanders was born in 1993. They started their adventure of living coast to coast, from Clearwater, to Dallas, Plano, Austin, Yorba Linda, Tallahassee, Las Vegas, Miami, and finally back to Las Vegas.

Scott’s beginnings in Architecture led him on a successful journey to the design and executive oversight of many prestigious developments around the world. Some noteworthy projects include MGM National Harbor, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Brightline Miami Station, SouthWood Golf Club, RiverCamps, the 2003 HGTV Dream Home, and extensive involvement in over 25 hotels and casinos through offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Dubai. His work in luxury hospitality allowed him to travel to every corner of the world. His bucket list was vast, from visiting the Taj Mahal, to riding camels in Dubai, to walking the Great Wall of China, sitting with pandas, to working in his favorite city Hong Kong, to visiting as many Frank Lloyd Wright homes as he could, to catching lobsters off the coast of Maine.

For those who knew Scott affectionately, his giving nature will remain the most cherished of his achievements. Scott never lost sight of the importance of family and was always available for those who mattered most in his life. He spent quality time every morning and evening with his wife Diane, picked up countless calls from his daughters to offer work advice and guidance at every step and stage of their lives. He was a joy to be around making everyone laugh with his sense of humor, often sarcastic, and deep wealth of knowledge.

Scott found his greatest joy on the open ocean and took up his lifelong dream of sailing. Scott and Diane spent many days sailing along the coast of Miami and throughout the Florida Keys. In his personal life, he put his degree in Architecture to good use, building three family homes from the ground up with lots of blood, sweat and tears. He also designed and remodeled countless homes for friends and family. You could always find him covered in sawdust with his tool belt listening to a combination of AC/DC or country music, like Chris Stapleton.

He was greeted in heaven by his maternal grandparents, S.T. and Margie McKnight and his paternal grandparents, Elward and Lorena Sanders.

Survivors include S.T. and Peggy McKnight (Lake Jackson, TX), Scott and Katherine McKnight and family (Houston, TX), Ryan and Colleen McKnight and family (Houston, TX), treasured in-laws Carolyn Murphy (Dallas, TX), Don and Rita Sumners (Houston, TX), Donna and Bob Rogers and family (Dallas, TX), Debby and Bill Heathcott and family (Dallas, TX) and many nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Scott’s Life will be held on Saturday, January 14th, at The First Baptist Church of Lake Jackson, 401 Yaupon Street, Lake Jackson, TX 77566. The family wishes to express their appreciation for the countless prayers offered on behalf of Scott. He faced this challenge with courage, grace, and an unwavering faith in God. Visitation with the family will be from 1:30 - 2:00 PM in the sanctuary with the Celebration of Life to begin at 2:00 PM. There will be a reception to follow at Lake Jackson Historical Museum, 249 Circle Way, Lake Jackson, TX 77566.

For hotel options for Lake Jackson Travelers, please go to: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QOjlphk1g23us1oF5EQaSlioo4vwY9lnrvRR6bpVitE