David Roger Sanders

David Roger Sanders passed away on August 16, 2026, due to complications from Alzheimer’s. In the days prior to his passing, he was surrounded by his family and friends. David is a disciple of Jesus Christ. You knew it when you met him by the way he treated you with kindness, gentleness, and love.

He is the son of Dorothy and Cleon Clyde (“CC” or Sparkplug) Sanders. Born on Labor Day, September 1, 1947. He grew up on Washington Blvd. in Ogden, Utah. His childhood years were filled with adventure and mischief: fishing, camping, bomb-making, car maintenance & racing, and so much more. He spent much of his youth on the Great Salt Lake with his dad and brothers harvesting brine shrimp eggs for the family business. If he was still with us, he would tell us about the greatest day on the lake: they found a homemade rice pudding under the seat of the old Jeep. He also spent time in his dad’s Berthana Ballroom on 24th street in Ogden. As a teen, his first love was his 1965 crocus yellow Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS with a High performance 327 350 HP L79 engine and a perfect pinstripe.

On July 4, 1965, he met the love of his life, LuAnn Tucker. Initially she was attracted to his Chevelle, and rightly so. But she chose David because she knew he would take her to the temple. And he did! They married on February 18, 1966, when they were 18, and were sealed for eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on February 17, 1967.

David is devoted to Lewy. She is his queen. He treated her with the utmost kindness, love and respect. Family lore remembers only a single time when he was angry; it was because one of their kids (Jason, obviously) disrespected his Lewy. When he could no longer drive, LuAnn called one of the kids to ask how to fill her car with gas. She hadn’t done it herself in years because David would quietly take her car, without fanfare, and fill it up. He is LuAnn’s favorite. They had 60 fantastic years together.

David isn’t fancy. He wasn’t particularly athletic. He was never a senior executive at the office, he wasn’t a leader in the community, he never had a noted church position, and he didn’t have a college degree. After his Chevelle, he never had another cool car. According to most worldly standards, he didn’t measure up. But in the things that mattered most, he excelled. And the most important thing to him is being a husband, a father, and a grandfather. Always present and never domineering. He never criticized, lectured, or scolded. He is kind and gentle, he loved, he forgave. Yet he was still strong and protective. He took his kids fishing and camping. He played roughhouse games like “touch the wall” and gave creative “rides” to bed. He read stories. He did silly magic tricks. He designed and made the greatest birthday cakes, Halloween costumes, and wooden toys. He drove to events and showed up. Along the way he unofficially adopted friends who called him dad or pa or treated him as a father figure. Many have said they use David as their exemplar for how to be a good father. He is the greatest success.

David is a skilled draftsman. He worked for Utah Power & Light for over 20 years. He could draw a straight line and a perfect circle by hand. He was a pioneer of computer-aided drafting. At one point, he took his personal Mac to work every day. He was a master at digital illustrations and started his own digital image and printing company with his son-in-law, Chris.

David is a master tinkerer and craftsman. He spent hours in his shop. He could seemingly build or fix anything. His favorite cologne was sawdust. The homes in his neighborhood are filled with his bookshelves and cabinets. For a time, he built custom gold gilded frames with his son-in-law, Tony. His handmade workbench is a thing of beauty that will survive the apocalypse.

David is an animal lover and a dog whisperer. His puppies adored him. His grand puppies fought over him. The meanest curs would allow him to rub their bellies. Somehow, they knew he had a kind and gentle heart. He had mesmerizing tropical fish tanks filled with anemones, clown fish, and his favorite, the yellow tang. For a time, he even sold tropical fish from a wall of fish tanks in the family basement.

David is survived by his wife, LuAnn Sanders; his brother, Larry Sanders; his sister, Cleoma Allen; and his six children and their spouses: John and Beverly Sanders, Janene and Chris Bijou, Jared and Paula Sanders, JoAnn and Tony Schleich, Jason and Danielle Sanders, and Julie and Timothy Jenkins. He is survived by 27 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and his puppy, Izzy. 

He was preceded in death by his mother and father; his brothers Gail, Jerry, Sterling, and Steven; and many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who didn’t make it into this world. He is also survived by the countless friends who considered him a father figure.

David will be missed for a time. But through the grace of Jesus Christ, we will see him again.

A viewing will be held Friday, August 21, 6:00-8:00 PM, at Russon Brothers Mortuary, 1941 N Main St., Farmington, Utah.

Funeral services will be on Saturday, August 22, 11:00 AM, at the Fairfield Chapel, 555 Fairfield Rd., Kaysville, Utah with a viewing prior to the services from 9:30-10:30 AM.   

The Funeral Service will be streamed: https://zoom.us/j/95005360897?pwd=eGZYRTFISWg5MUh0SWZHbkhQUFpRQT09

His body will be interred in the Kaysville City Cemetery, 500 East Crestwood Road, Kaysville, Utah.

Many thanks to the staff and caretakers at Fairfield Village.

P.S. Grandma loves YOU the mostest.