Gerald (Jerry) Byron Sanders, Sr., passed peacefully to heaven on a lovely May 30 afternoon at the age of 93. His nephew Charles stopped by to visit and said a prayer over him that gently helped him on his way.

Jerry was born in Water Valley, MS., on June 16, 1921, to Ruth Parks Sanders and Byron Sanders. Soon after, they moved to Chicago where he spent most of his pre-adolescence. After a brief stay in Indiana, Jerry and his family move to Memphis where he attended Cummings Elementary and Messick. They then moved to Sledge, MS., where he graduated from Sledge High School in 1940.

After one year at Wood Jr. College, he joined the Navy, serving aboard the U.S.S. Livingston, during which time he was stationed at Pearl Harbor and participated in the Pacific Theater during WWII. After the war, he attended his beloved University of Mississippi where he received the first B.S. degree in Journalism ever bestowed and a B.A. in Business Administration, graduating in 1949. While he was a student, he wrote many feature articles that were published in a variety of magazines and newspapers. After graduation, he worked briefly as a salesman for the Sheaffer Penn Company as well as Proctor and Gamble.

Jerry then pursued a career in Real Estate working for Marx and Bensdorf and Percy Galbreath. Early in his career he met and married the love of his life, Eula Adee Holmes, on October 4, 1952 at the bride''s home. It was the event of the season. In 1955, he received his law degree from Southern Law University where he was a member of the Delta Chi Delta legal fraternity. He became a broker forming his own company, Sanders Realty Company, which thrived until his retirement in 2005.

Jerry had a great appreciation for art, literature, and music, playing the piano by ear. He also loved movies and owned an extensive movie collection. He enjoyed traveling to New Orleans for a stay at the Monteleone Hotel, at The Grand Hotel at Point Clear, Alabama and the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, AR. He had a love of wildlife and delighted in feeding the birds and raccoons on his property. He was a huge Ole Miss football fan and reveled in discussing it with friends and family.

Jerry was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Eula Holmes Sanders. He leaves his three children, Kathleen Holmes Sanders, Jerry Sanders, Jr. (Donna) and Wendy Sanders Campbell (Bruce). He also leaves three grandchildren, Christian Byron Sanders, Emily Grace Campbell, and William McLean Campbell. He also leaves his cousin Kenneth Parks, Jr. (Brenda) who was like a brother to him and was preceded in death by his two brothers, Charles Rutherford Sanders and Robert Parks Sanders (Lizzie).

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 from 12 pm until the service time at 1:00 pm at Forest Hill Funeral Home, Midtown on Elvis Presley Blvd. Jerry was a longtime supporter of St. Jude Children''s Research Hospital and in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Jude.

Forest Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Park, Midtown
(901) 775-0310