Dr. Stanley Gordon Sanders

On Monday, December 22 of 2014 we lost a great educator and a truly exceptional man. Dr. Stanley Gordon Sanders, Professor Emeritus of the University of Houston, slipped away into that final sleep. He survived four strokes, but number five was too much for him. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marjorie Agans Sanders, son Kirby Sanders and daughters Bonnie Sanders Balch and Barbara Sanders Walden. Stanley also has six amazing grandchildren—Eric and Jennifer Balch, Kathryn Walden Wieckert, Tristan and Gaia Jusola-Sanders and Lewis Walden Jr.

Born May 6, 1923 in Burlington, Iowa to Andrew Gordon Sanders and Betty Juliana Braasch, he attended and graduated from Burlington Public Schools. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Iowa State Guard and he was inducted into the United States Army. He served in England, France, Germany, Belgium and Austria. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star for gallant performance of duty in ground combat against the enemy.

After the war ended, Stan graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College and earned his Masters of Arts degree from Colorado State College of Education. He earned the Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Iowa. He taught in the public schools of Iowa and served as a high school principal and superintendent of schools. He came to the University of Houston in 1960 and taught Educational Administration. After retiring from the U of H, he worked for ten years as a travel agent and traveled extensively with his wife. He also taught Travel and Tourism at Houston Community College and wrote a number of articles on travel for the Houston Chronicle.

Following his second retirement, he served as a volunteer teaching English as a Second Language for Literacy Advance and Citizenship classes for Gulfton Area Naturalization. He proudly served as a volunteer host at Memorial Herrmann Southwest hospital for 15 years.

Dr. Sanders was a member of the VFW, past president of Phi Delta Kappa, as well as College Chapter President of the Texas State Teacher’s Association. He was a member of the Council of the Houston Area Teacher’s Center. Over the years he assisted in the development of several area school districts including North Forest ISD, Port Arthur ISD and South Park Independent School district in Beaumont, Texas. Dr. Sanders helped to expand the University Of Houston College Of Education into the international community by teaching in several exotic locations, including India, Pakistan, Mexico, Brazil and Germany. He developed friendships worldwide. He and his wife have traveled to every continent except Antarctica.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Tranquel Beacham and her outstanding staff at Colonial Oaks at Westchase Memory Care where he spent the last seven months. The staff provided exceptional care and even near the end he developed loving friendships and left an impression with his wit and humor.

Dr Sanders touched the lives of many of Houston’s finest educators and administrators in the field of public education. He had a wonderful sense of humor and truly loved his children and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed.

Services will be held on Saturday, December 27th at Forest Park Westheimer, 1 2800 Westheimer Road. Visitation at 10:30, Service at 11:30, Private burial. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to American Diabetes Association or American Lung Association to work for research.