Michael Berry Sanders

Michael Berry Sanders
September 8, 1949 – June 29,2017

Michael Berry Sanders, 67, passed away, surrounded by family, on June 29, 2017 after a long illness. Mike was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. He was a kind and gentle man who treasured time with those he loved, be it learning a new instrument with his wife, teaching a young son about gardening, playing with grandchildren or visiting with dear friends. He was his family’s rock and their protector. Mike grew up in Atlanta and attended St. Anthony’s Catholic Elementary School and St. Joseph Catholic High School. He enlisted in the United States Navy and served on the destroyer U.S.S. James E. Keyes during the Vietnam War. After his service, Mike earned a degree in electrical engineering from Southern Technical Institute and worked as an electrical engineer for more than two decades. He embarked on a second career in teaching when his son, Chris, was stationed at the United States Marine Corps base in Albany, Ga. in 1995. Mike received a master’s degree in education from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga. and subsequently taught technology at East Hall High School in Gainesville, Ga. for almost 10 years. He met Elaine Purser, a teacher and mother of two daughters, and they married in 1996. After retirement, he and Elaine moved to Marshallville, Ga. Always one to learn, Mike took classes in automotive repair and health.
A constant in Mike’s life was music. He learned to play trumpet as a young boy and taught himself to play electric guitar as a teenager. “Sleepwalk” and “Twist and Shout” were memorable. Mike played guitar and banjo in several bands, including a folk music group at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church; “Just Over in Gloryland” was a favorite. He and Elaine played together in a country band for a couple of years named "Peach Blossom Special." By life’s end, Mike had taught himself to play about 10 different instruments to various levels of mastery, he would probably say.
Mike was a member of the Vietnam Veterans Association. He volunteered with the Boy Scouts and coached football, basketball and soccer. He loved animals, especially dogs, nature and amusement park rides. Mike enjoyed working on a white 1957 Chevrolet that had belonged to his mother and talking cars with his lifelong friend, Michael Brooks.
Mike is preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Mabel Sanders. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Elaine, son, Chris Sanders of Vinings, Ga., sisters Jerri (Phillip) Gilbert of Cartersville, Ga. and June (Wayne) Isaac of Kingston, Ga., stepdaughters Crystal (Drew) Genteman of Atlanta and Miranda Covington of Lake Tahoe, Calif., grandchildren Elise and James Genteman, beloved grand-dog, Wyatt, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Visitation will be held Sunday, July 2, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory in Marietta. Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, July 3 at the same location with interment at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Ga. at 2 p.m. As an alternative to flowers, the family appreciates donations to the American Cancer Society at https://www.cancer.org/ or Hospice Atlanta at https://vnhs.org/

Online guest book at www.westcobbfuneralhome.com