Kristen Marie Sanders

From the day she was born, she had a caring heart and a free spirit. Always craving the love and acceptance that she so willingly gave to others. She was impressionable, spunky, full of energy and charisma. Her petite stature, often misleading and underestimated as she was fearless and often fiercely competitive. She loved her sports, playing volleyball, basketball, and softball as a youth and continuing through high school. Her fearlessness always on full display with every dig, defensive charge, and head-first slide that would make any girl dad & coach proud – namely her dad.

As she grew older, she developed a passion and love of the arts – music, dance, art, theater, poetry, & song writing were all her favorite things and she provided an abundance of highly entertaining Instagram and TIK TOK videos that are truly unforgettable and worth the price of admission. Incorporating “her babies” (niece, nephews, & dogs) made for the best of the best of these videos, and she loved them hard and hugged them even harder. She loved Anime and Cosplay and her favorite holiday was Halloween Week…..yes, she generally made a full week of the holiday. She was a stage-5 binge watcher and could recall and recite movie quotes at the drop of a hat. She loved playing video games, late nights playing Overwatch, loving on her dogs – Lexi and Guinness, changing her hair, and generally hanging out with friends and family outside playing beer pong, washers, cornhole, and acting crazy to her favorite tunes.

Kristen was a little bit of crazy, a little bit of loud and a whole lot of love. She had a beauty that eyes could not deny, and her soul has a beauty that hearts can’t help but feel. She was one of the rare ones, so effortlessly herself that she became infectious. Her laugh made you laugh, and she was funny. Kristen was not ashamed to be different. She embraced the light and the voice that made her stand out to people. She was a bit of childhood that could never be lost, creating memories that will withstand time. She will be truly missed.

Kristen is survived by her parents, Darren Sanders, Sr. and Leslie Sanders; sister, Samantha Sanders; brothers, Darren Sanders, Jr. and Jason Sanders; nieces and nephews, Aubrianna Sanders, Brody Stanley, Jax Stanley, Jeremiah Sanders; grandparents, Fred Sanders, Sr., Billie Sanders, Alex Mitchell, Sr., Lucy Mitchell; aunts and uncles, Fred and Mary Sanders, Duane Sanders and Terri Andazola, Frank and Monica Ogas, Erik Sanders, Betty Mitchell, Alex and Sandy Mitchell, Matt and Sylvia White, Andy and Suzanne Obregon.

Visitations will be from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Thursday, May 21st and 9:00 am to 10:00 am on Friday, May 22nd at Thompson Funeral Chapel.  A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am on Friday May 22nd at Thompson Funeral Chapel, 926 S. Litchfield Rd, Goodyear, AZ 85338. Burial will follow at 12:00 pm at Holy Cross Cemetery, 10045 W. Thomas Rd, Avondale, AZ 85392.