Dorothy Rea Tate Sanders

Dorothy Rea Tate Sanders, 91, went to be with the Lord on October 7, 2019. Born in Grundy County, Tennessee, on January 27, 1928, she lived in Chattanooga for more than 60 years. Her greatest loves were her family, her church, friends, and anyone she could tell about her love for the Lord. She and her late husband were longtime members of Calvary Baptist Church. She worked as a server with Shoney’s for many years and eventually qualified to be a preschool teacher. Her students were dear to her and many of them continued to visit her throughout her life. She was preceded in death by her husband Ralph; her parents, George and Margaret Tate; her brothers, Lynn Clyde and Clifford Tate; sisters, Carolyn Tate, Elizabeth Howell, May Collins, Georgia Fletcher Dishroom, and Claudene Sanders Shirley. She is survived by two sisters, Mildred Brown, Tracy City, TN, and Jeanetta Finch, Palmer, TN; her daughter, Laquita (Leigh) Neely, Leesburg, FL; her son, Lyle (Patricia McCord), Chattanooga; five grandchildren: Shawn and Zachery Sanders, Chattanooga; Stephanie Neely Boyt, Villa Rica, GA; Dale (Stacie) Neely, Tallahassee, FL; and Scott (Tina) Neely, Weybridge, Surry, United Kingdom. Great-grandchildren are Sam Neely, Fort Scott, KS; Jack Neely, Tallahassee, FL; Shylah Sanders and Juliana Sanders, Birchwood, TN. A loving array of nieces, nephews, and their children and grandchildren. Visitation will be Thursday, Oct. 10, from 6-9 p.m. and the funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at Chattanooga Funeral Home, 5401 TN Highway 153 with Rev. Dwight Martin officiating. Burial will be at Hamilton Memorial Gardens adjacent to the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Calvary Baptist Church, 5201 Dayton Blvd., Chattanooga, TN 37415 in Dorothy’s memory. Obit