Donald R. Sanders

Donald R. Sanders passed away on Monday, July 1, 2019, at the Hospice In-Patient Center in Mount Joy. He was 84. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, who lives at Willow Valley communities. They have loved 34 years of marriage together and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Don was born in Waltham, MA in 1935, the son of the late Emanuel H. and Kathleen (Rippin) Sanders. He graduated from Newton High School in Newton, MA in 1953, received his BA in Economics from Middlebury College in VT, and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago School of Business in 1958. In 1959, Don went to work for State Street Bank & Trust in Boston as an Asst. Treasurer. In 1961, he moved to NW Ayer & Son Advertising in Philadelphia where he worked as a VP in Plans and Marketing. After Ayer consolidated offices in New York, Don joined Scott Paper Co. in Philadelphia as a VP of Marketing. He retired in 1992 and then started his dreamed-of life. Don began carving song birds in early retirement. He was a gifted carver and painter, leaving behind a beautiful body of work. He also returned to his boyhood passion for golf. Although he never achieved that perfect shot he dreamed of, he loved the game and was a former member of Merion Golf Club, Hershey’s Mill Golf Club and Moss Creek Golf Club in Hilton Head, SC where he and Margaret had a home for 19 years. Don also loved gardening and worked as an Assistant at the Scott Arboretum in Swarthmore, PA. He was a man of few words and many talents. And he is gone too soon. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son Chris and daughter-in-law Kathy Garrett of Norwalk CT, his son Rick of Brigintine, NJ, and his daughter Liz Bongard (wife of Rene) of West Chester, PA, four grandchildren – Ryan and Erin Sanders and Elise and Savannah Bongard, and a Golden Retriever named Maggie. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Don’s name to Hospice & Community Care, 685 Good Drive, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17604; or to Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue, 60 Vera Cruz Road, Reinholds, PA 17569. A Celebration of Don's life will be held at Willow Valley at a later date in August.