April Dawn Sanders, 54, a longtime resident of the Sedro-Woolley area, passed away on Sunday, August 4, 2013 at United General Hospital, surrounded by her family and friends following a brief battle with cancer.
She was born in Sedro-Woolley on January 12, 1959, the daughter of Larry & Joan (Ganske) Hale. As an infant her family moved to Oak Harbor, where she was raised and attended school, graduating from Oak Harbor High School with the class of 1977.
April returned to the Sedro-Woolley area where she worked as a waitress and a bar hostess. In 1983 she was united in marriage to Dennis Sanders in Sedro-Woolley, and there they made their home and raised their daughters.
April volunteered her time with the Sedro-Woolley School District for several years, eventually being hired in 1995. She worked at several schools around the district, most recently as a certified teacher’s assistant at Lyman Elementary. She had a variety of interests. She enjoyed snowshoeing, camping, horseback riding, reading, growing flowers, especially roses, and vegetables, and canning her vegetables.
But her most enjoyment was being with and around her “Kids”; that being her grandchildren and her “school kids”.
April is survived by her 2 daughters; Amber Sanders and her fiancé, Luke Howard, and their children, Parker & Emma Howard of Marysville and Vesper Eldridge and her husband, Zack of Hamilton; her life partner, Jim Smith of Lyman; and his children, Julia Smith of Seattle and Paul Smith of Singapore; Step-son Wayne Sanders and his wife Jamie of Vancouver, WA and their son Wesley; her father, Larry Hale and his companion Bea of Spangle, WA; her brothers and their spouses, Bill & Forestine Smith of Alaska, Jacque & Linda Hale of Gold Bar, WA and Jay & Christi Hale of Oak Harbor, WA; her friend and former husband, Dennis Sanders of Hamilton and several nieces and nephews. April was preceded in death by her mother, Joan Hale.
A Celebration of Life gathering will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 1:00pm on the Lyman Elementary School playground.
In honor of April, in lieu of flowers please send donation to Lyman Elementary School Playground Fund at PO Box 1308, Luman, WA 98263. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.
May Gods Peace be with you old friend, we will meet again!!!
I am so sorry to hear of April’s passing and my sympathy and condolences go out to her family
and kids. I knew her from spending a few nights over there in middle school as I was Amber’s friend.
There are no words to say and it is so hard to lose a parent. Somedays feel like its been forever and
others like it happened yesterday. I lost my dad 6 years ago and the only thing that can heal some of the
pain is time. April was so kind and sweet and caring. One thing I will remember is how she was so involved
with her family especially her children. She was always at Amber’s softball games and her heart and love were never
ending for her kids. I’m sorry for your loss and may God keep you at peace with your mom and each other.
My heart and prayers go out to April’s family. I last saw April while I was going thru chemo, at UGH. I just happened to see her in the x-ray dept. We chatted like we had just seen each other yesterday. That is the kind of lady she was.. Just pick up where we left off years ago. I didn’t know that she had cancer. May she rest in peace and have wings of an angel and watch over her family.. Love to you my friend.. Until we meet again..
April became my friend while she was acting in one of her many roles of service as a softball coach while my daughters were young. She was always a very positive, fair and uplifting person, and she encouraged many, many young people during the course of her life. I appreciated the strong and decisive components of her character. Always a practical lady, she did the best she could with the resources she had. She surely loved her daughters, and all the kids she worked with, and that is her legacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this hard, sad time.
Dear Sanders family,
Mrs. Sanders was one of the nicest people I ever met. I will miss her.
Brooke Mathis
My heart and sympathy goes out to Aprils daughters Vesper and Amber and family.
I was really sad to hear that she had passed and of her battle of cancer.
Anyone who grew up in lyman knew April and knew how sweet and fun she was. I remember all the times and memories I spent hanging out with Vesper at the house and with her mom. April and Vesper were the first people to put me up on a horse. All the memories of her at Lyman Elementary. She will be greatly missed.
Love and prayers
Teanna Larsen
To family of Mrs. Sanders. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I will always smile when I think of her and the many times we shared thoughts during recess at Lyman Elementary, and the times we would meet accidentally somewhere and she would laugh and call me a stalker—it got to be a big joke with us, because we were always running into each other—I miss you Ms. Sanders Love you always, Kaitlyn and Nana and Papa
To the Sanders family, I just want you to know that April meant so much to my son and I. She spent 3 years working with him in math & reading. She has done so much for him, I always told her I couldn’t put into words how much I thank her for everything she has done for him. I don’t think their is anyone else in this world who will ever sand up to Aprils dedication to her kids at Lyman, and I know for a fact she will be the only one who has bonded with Danny and helped him learn the fun way as she did. She will be truly missed, and school will not be the same without her.
To April, We love you, and the kids at Lyman will never forget you and everything you have done for them, they loved you just as much as you loved them, so don’t ever worry about that my love. You know are able to watch over all of them all the time, as a beautiful angle that you are. We LOVE you.
Danny, Kadan, Kim, and Dan Shook
To the Family and friends of April Dawn Sanders,
We are here only for a little while, at least in God’s time frame. He has better plans for you there with him. We ask that your family Please except our deepest sympathy at this fragile time. We had the pleasure of meeting April through our friends Diane and Richard Harris, and were to spend many happy times with her. We will truly miss your smiling face! And thank you again for taking such good care of our son at Lyman Elementary, we will always remember you with Love in our hearts and the fun we all shared. God bless you on your new journey ,within his arms may you always soar with the angels.
Love and condolences, The Sorby Family of Lyman