Denise Elizabeth Sanders

8/7/61 – 12/3/2020

Denise was born August 7, 1961 in Detroit, Michigan to parents Derrick and Una Twaites. Her parents emigrated to North America from Coventry, England in the 1950’s. Denise’s oldest sister Carole was born in England, and her middle sister Marilyn was born in Hamilton Ontario Canada before the family settled in Michigan.

Her family travelled extensively and in the early 1970’s returned to England where her father worked for Chrysler UK. Both Denise and Marilyn attended a private school in Bury St Edmunds, England for several years before returning to the United States and settling in Wilmington, Delaware.

Denise attended college and graduated from Goldey-Beacom with a degree in Marketing Management and worked in the financial services industry in Wilmington, Delaware.

There, Denise met and married Jim Sanders and had two children together, Ellen who was born in Wilmington Delaware and Collin in Colorado Springs, Colorado where the family relocated in the 1990’s.

Denise worked in the nonprofit world in Colorado Springs as a development director for Goodwill Industries and later ESM (Ecumenical Social Ministries).

The family was active at Grace & St Stephens Episcopal Church in Colorado for many years, with Denise serving on the vestry committee and both Ellen and Collin with choir.

In 2018, Denise began a relationship with Dean Tilson, a Canadian who she had known from their England boarding school days in the 1970’s .

Denise and Dean travelled extensively together including a return to England for a mini reunion in the spring of 2019.

Denise was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme in July 2019 and endured surgery, radiation and chemotherapy throughout 2019 and 2020. She and Dean got engaged in October 2019 and were married on October 31, 2020.

Denise succumbed to her illness on December 3, 2020, at the tender age of just 59 years after a courageous battle with this insidious disease, with her family by her side at Springs Ranch Hospice Care facility.

Denise is survived by her husband, Dean Tilson, her children Ellen and Collin Sanders, sisters Carole (Twaites) Crowley and Marilyn Twaites, niece Laura (Twaites-Creech) Justo and husband Ken Justo, nephew Brian Twaites-Creech, Aunt and Uncle Vera and Roy Hobday of Bristol England and cousins John and Tracy Hobday of Bristol England.

A memorial service for Denise at Grace & St Stephens Episcopal Church is planned at a future undetermined date.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that her many friends and family make a contribution in her name to a charity of their choosing.