William (“Bill” and “Sandy”) Ehrhardt Sanders, 68, died on September 10, 2023 after a brief illness. Mr. Sanders was born in Harrisburg, but his family soon moved to Blossom Hill in Manheim Township, Lancaster County.
He was a 1972 graduate of Manheim Township High School, where he was a standout basketball player. His competitive sports interests continued, as he played in basketball leagues throughout the Lancaster area and for the Lancaster Big Five traveling team and Brubaker Lumber. He was also an avid and gifted golfer, playing in local tournaments and with his Sunday morning “show and go” friends.
In addition to sports, he loved doing crossword puzzles with his wife Marlene and reading. He was also a music fan, who for years made an annual trip to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with dear friends.
A lifelong resident of Lancaster County, and a long-time resident in the West End of the City of Lancaster, he worked in the automobile industry, first for Executives Inc., a family-owned business, and most recently for Hondru Auto. His face was easily recognized by those at the Manheim, ABC and Garden Spot Auto Auctions as he spent years buying and selling cars at auctions.
He will be greatly missed by many. He is survived by Marlene Sanders, his loving wife of 40 years; sister Christine Powers and her husband Richard Powers of Lancaster; brother Wardell Sanders and his wife Erica Rubine of Lambertville, New Jersey; and nephews and nieces Richard Garrity Powers, Daniel Patrick Powers, William Lloyd Powers, Lily Joy Sanders, and Ian Stuart Sanders; and great nieces Sloane Powers, Quinn Powers, and Ellie Powers. He is predeceased by his parents, William Kaufman Sanders and Maryella Sanders; and a sister, Joy Susan Sanders Gordinier.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 19th, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Debord Snyder Funeral Home, 141 East Orange Street, Lancaster.
Please omit flowers. If desired, contributions in Mr. Sanders’ memory may be made to: the Gap Caddy Program, Caddie Scholarship, 1974 Sproul Road, Broomall, PA 19008; Lancaster Boys and Girls Club, P.O. Box 104, Lancaster, PA 17608; the Lancaster YMCA, 265 Harrisburg Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603; or to Hospice and Community Care, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17604-4125.